We had an influx of free food at the end of December, making me thrilled to have our big freezer!! My hotel gives us each a free turkey for Thanksgiving, Shawn received a box of steaks, chicken and burgers as a gift, and my wonderful coworker gave me ground venison and a venison tenderloin. I've learned that venison is one of those meats that you don't really buy in the store. You need to be in the loop with hunters, butchers, or friends who know those hunters and butchers to get it. You can probably find it in a store, but its going to be more money than its worth. That's what I'm told, anyway. So when I mentioned to said coworker that I had only had deer once or twice and wasn't 100% sold but open to trying it, she was kind enough to share some of her recent gain with us!
Now, I'm finding this venison to be a little intimidating. I keep hearing about gaminess and remember the last time that I tried deer (at a country club where I worked and had recently witnessed the actual deer becoming that evening's special) and I wasn't a huge fan. I've been really interested in trying it again and decided that chili would be a good way to ease us into the flavor. I make chili all the time and have heard its a great venue to start with. Chili and cornbread go hand in hand in this region but my baking skills (or lack thereof) have kept me from making cornbread in the past. I decided to go for it!!
Suprisingly, none of my cookbooks had recipes for venison. I went online and found a chili variation on MyRecipes.com that sounded basic but tasty. I usually wing it with my chili, but wanted to be sure that my spices were to par. I also found a recipe for cornbread in Shawn's "Smoke & Spice" cookbook that sounded really good. I definitely wanted to use my cast iron skillet and like the idea of using bacon grease as the fat addition in the recipe.
We started early in the morning when I made pancakes and bacon for my boys. I needed bacon grease and they were kind enough to take one for the team! I saved the grease and went on with my day. Later in the morning, I busted out my brand new food processor. Would you believe that with as much as I cook, I've never owned one until this Christmas? We don't have a dishwasher and I've always thought it would be a pain to clean. I do, however, spend a ridiculous amount of time on food prep and decided that this would be a good day to test it out. Since I was using it, I ended up chopping up extra onions and garlic and put them in containers to use later in the week. Love it! So much quicker and much easier on the eyes. Not a total pain to wash and as long as I'm getting myself prepped for the week it saves a ton of time in the long run.
I opted to steer away from the trusty crockpot and took out my large stockpot to keep the chili on the stove throughout the day. I sauteed up the deer and removed it, covering the dish to keep it warm. A cup each of chopped peppers and onions went in next with 4 cloves of chopped garlic. I sauteed it on medium high for about 10 minutes and then added the spices. Followed with the venison, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of chicken broth, and a touch of tomato paste. I added the can of rinsed kidney beans before noting that it should have been added toward the end of cooking. I didn't really notice anything off, so I wouldn't say that it was a necessary step. I did, however, add a 1/4 cup of frozen corn at the end. It wasn't in the recipe, but Shawn really loves corn in his chili. I left it all on the stove, on low, stirring every 20 minutes or so, for 4-5 hours.
About an hour before dinner, I mixed together the dry ingredients for the cornbread and then mixed together the wet separately and combined them with a little frozen corn and some melted butter. Then I warmed the skillet on the stove and added a tablespoon of bacon grease, swirling to coat the pan. When the oven was ready (400) I poured the batter in the pan, creating a fun sizzle sound, and transferred it to the oven. The recipe called for it to cook 20 minutes and I left it in a few minutes longer (I know my oven) and tested with a toothpick. All was ready!
The chili was fantastic!! I could only taste a hint of gaminess, but the texture was a little different from beef or ground turkey. It was a slightly finer consistancy, which went really well in a chili form. I've heard that venison meatballs are good and I could see why. The spices and tomato consistancy were perfect! I omitted jalepenos from the recipe, out of preference, but found that the cayenne, chili powder, and cumin gave a nice subtle heat.
The cornbread was simply gorgeous. Golden brown and crisp. I was disappointed to see that the center was underdone, despite the toothpick test. I cut the bread from around the edges and popped the skillet back in for another 20 minutes, since it had already cooled. The center cooked up wonderfully. It did need something, which we had a hard time putting our finger on. A little touch of sweetness, perhaps? Maybe even a touch more salt? Shawn suggested creamed corn instead of frozen.... I'll try another recipe to get it down eventually. Love the cast iron skillet method, though!!
My favorite way to eat this was created by a suggestion from my deer benefactor. I put the cornbread in my bowl and topped it with the chili. Then put a little sour cream and a little cheese on the side to add as desired. I've always eaten the bread on the side and thought this would be weird, but I trust her and gave it a shot. Wow. Simply, wow. The textures and flavors of this all together was simply brilliant!! Yum.
Venison Chili- MyRecipes.com
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/venison-chili-10000000780398/?k=1
Cracklin Cornbread- Smoke & Spice
*ask if you want the recipe
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