National Chili Day rolls around each year on the fourth Thursday of February – who knew? This year, 2018, it falls on February 23rd. A rather fitting holiday for February, don’t you think? I certainly do, since it’s likely the coldest month of the year, and nothing warms me up better than a good ole hearty bowl of chili on a dreary winter day. Even the smell of chili cooking seems to reach right down into my soul, warming me from the inside out.
Chili has been around for at least few hundred years; some say as early as the 15th or 16th century. I’ve never actually entered a chili cook-off, but they are a Texas tradition and have been held regularly since the 1950s. In 1977, they even declared chili the official state food of Texas!
Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th U.S. President, also loved chili. His favorite recipe, known as Pedernales River Chili, was named after the location of his Texas ranch, and he was quoted as saying, “Chili concocted outside Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing.” I wouldn’t want to argue with a former president and seeing as I was born in Texas, we’ll just call it good.
In honor of LJB’s preference for venison chili over beef, I’ll be sharing my favorite venison recipe today. If you aren’t lucky enough to have venison, you can always substitute beef.
You will need:
- 2 lbs. dried kidney beans
- 2 lbs. ground venison
- 2 onions, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 pkgs. of chili seasoning (or try our homemade gluten-free chili spice mix)
- 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers (I like to use two different colors)
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½-1 Tbsp. cumin (I REALLY like cumin)
- 6-8 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt
- pepper
I like to soak my kidney beans overnight in my crock pot. The next morning, I drain and rinse them, cover with water and cook on high for at least 4 hours or until tender. Later in the afternoon, I start the rest of the chili.
Using my big cast iron dutch oven, I heat it up and add 3-4 Tbsp. of oil (I use olive oil) to saute the diced onions, chopped peppers, and minced garlic. When tender, dump those into your crock pot with the cooked kidney beans. Then place another 3-4 Tbsp. oil in the dutch oven and brown the venison, mixing in the chili seasoning as it cooks. Add the seasoned venison to your crock-pot, and all remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to your taste. Because everything is cooked at this point, I usually serve it immediately, but feel free to let it simmer in your crock pot for a bit to combine the flavors.
Serve with a little shredded cheese and your favorite cornbread recipe – or our family’s favorite, topped with a liberal scoop of cottage cheese. For a fancy presentation, serve in a homemade bread bowl.
Stay safe and warm this winter. Here’s to getting a good snow day and warming back up when the fun is over!
