Deer season

It's that time of year people with weapons are in the woods. That would be deer hunters folks. As much as it might disgust some of you they are our allies. Without some of their funds and efforts the woods and trails we enjoy on our bikes might not be open or available. Doesn't mean you have to like the sight of a dead deer, but that deer will be eaten sparing the life of a steer or a few chickens. Or a Tuna. Any how, with the exception of Friday. I only hunt when I need to fill a freezer, mine or someone else's. As our basement is in need of cleaning and a new furnace, I haven't purchased a new freezer to fill with a deer or two. In all the years I've hunted, no animal has taken more than two steps before falling to the ground quite dead. And I've eaten them all or shared them with others. To that end I'd like to share one of my favorite recipes... my venison chili recipe. Please don't use beef, it just isn't the same.

If you haven't made chili before or if you've not developed a taste for TexMex, you'll want to tone the spices down a bit. Having lived in Texas, I enjoy feeling a light sweat on my scalp as I eat. You'll want to check the amounts for your own use... the only recipe I have feeds roughly 30 people or you can freeze portions for later use.

Locate 2 crock pots or a large Nesco cooker

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 baseball sized red onion, coarsely chopped
3 lbs cubed or ground venison
1 lb spicy breakfast sausage (pork or turkey)
1 8oz bottle of Taco Bell Fire Sauce
2 large (28-32oz) cans hot chili beans (Important! Do not drain! You will need the liquid)
2 16 oz cans refried beans (lard is good)
2 32 oz cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 16-20 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed (may use small or large beans)
2 16-20 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
8-12 fresh or frozen jalapeno peppers, chopped (leave seeds in unless you're a complete wienie)
2 12 oz bottles of beer
Chili powder- enough to sprinkle generously over the top of both pots

Pre-crock pot
In a heavy pan, saute onions in olive oil until carmelized. Add venison and cook through. Add sausage and cook through. Then allow to simmer together to create a stock of venison juice and fat for at least 30 minutes.

Add the bottle of Taco Bell Fire Sauce. Stir and simmer a bit longer.

Into the crock pot
While the meat is simmering, drain and rinse all the beans except the hot chili beans. It is important to drain and rinse otherwise the chili will be too soupy. Divide in half after rinsing for each crock pot. Divide the hot chili beans for each crock pot.

Add the refried beans to each crock pot. Stir gently. Add the jalapenos. Distribute equally or if you want one batch hotter add more to it and the lesser to the other pot. Stir gently. Divide and add the meat mixture equally to the pots. Sprinkle the chili powder over the top of each mixture to form a heavy layer of chili dust. Stir gently. Take the two bottles of beer and open them. Divide one bottle of beer equally between the two pots. Drink the other beer because making chili is hard work. Now turn on the crock pots! This is important because cold chili sucks!

Cook the chili for at least two (2) hours on the low setting. It can be cooked up to six (6) hours, but if it goes too long the beans become mush. If you're making this chili for a gathering, it is recommended a serving be set aside before being served.

Note: No two batches of chili are ever the same. The list of ingredients are a suggestion for the cook. Portions, types, sizes and colors of beans can be adjusted to suit a mood or event. Beans can also help identify a more "deadly" chili from a palatable chili. For example: "Your attention please! Everyone not wanting to spend a week on the toidy, eat the chili with the white beans! Thank you!"