Bison Chili
By Danielle Desiato KuhnPublished on June 15, 2016
Time
2½ hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can substitute 90 percent lean ground beef for the bison. Serve with lime wedges, fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, minced onion, and/or diced avocado.
Instructions
- Combine 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper in bowl. Process 3 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped, in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds; set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 finely chopped onions and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces, and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup tomato paste, 6 minced garlic cloves, and spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add 1 pound ground bison, and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and processed tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- Stir in 1 pound peeled sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces. Pat remaining 1 pound ground bison together into ball, then pinch off teaspoon-size pieces of meat and stir into chili. Cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and bison are tender, about 45 minutes. (If chili begins to stick to bottom of pot or looks too thick, stir in extra water as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Time
2½ hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Bison has a much lower fat content than ground beef—about 2 percent compared to about 10 percent—which means it can’t be treated exactly like beef. To build flavor, we tried browning all of the meat before adding any liquid, but we found that the finished texture was a bit dry and grainy. Instead, we sautéed only half of the meat and added the rest in small pieces after the chili had simmered for an hour. The meat added at the beginning melted into the sauce, giving it a rich, meaty flavor, while the pieces added later stayed moist and tender. Although some chili recipes forgo tomatoes for a hearty, meat-based version, tasters thought that tomatoes provided balanced flavor. We pulsed a full 3 pounds of fresh tomatoes in a food processor, and tomato paste provided a deep, cooked tomato flavor. Next, we focused on additional veggies to round out our chili. Tasters liked red bell pepper and sweet potatoes for their bright and sweet notes that complemented the heat of the chili. Adding the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking ensured that they softened nicely but didn’t fall apart. The sweet potatoes also absorbed some liquid and released a small amount of starch, giving the chili a hearty, thick consistency.
Before You Begin
You can substitute 90 percent lean ground beef for the bison. Serve with lime wedges, fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, minced onion, and/or diced avocado.
Instructions
- Combine 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper in bowl. Process 3 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped, in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds; set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 finely chopped onions and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces, and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup tomato paste, 6 minced garlic cloves, and spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add 1 pound ground bison, and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and processed tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- Stir in 1 pound peeled sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces. Pat remaining 1 pound ground bison together into ball, then pinch off teaspoon-size pieces of meat and stir into chili. Cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and bison are tender, about 45 minutes. (If chili begins to stick to bottom of pot or looks too thick, stir in extra water as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
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