Bison Chili Picante - Muy Bueno!

Bison Chili Picante

I t was time for chili, spicy chili. And the weather was right for chili, spicy chili. So, I tried a new little chili, spicy chili, recipe. I found this intriguing recipe on Pinterest called Spicy Touchdown Chili, as it was time for the Super (yawn, yawn again) Bowl Game. And it had that kicked up spice taste that we like so much. I knew I had to give it a try.


M y friend and former co-worker, Pat, suggested substituting ground Bison Meat for the ground beef. I could not remember the last time I had Bison meat, although I was sure it had been a long time. It's not prevalent in the markets, but I knew that I saw it once upon a time at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and I thought my local Stater Bro's carried ground Bison. I was in luck at Stater's Bro's! Bison meat is actually better for you than "the other red meat", as it is higher in protein, lower in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol. And a huge SHOUTOUT & THANKS to Pat for her suggestion, as I think the ground Bison made a huge difference in the taste of the chili. Very Good!

T his chili has a refreshing new flavor compared to chili made with only ground beef. I think it's the combination of all the spice along with the mixture of the ground Bison, ground pork sausage and cooked, crumbled bacon. The original Spicy Touchdown Chili was prepared using a slow cooker. I used a dutch oven on the stove combined with a long slow simmer. I'm sure it would be just as good in the slow cooker. What are we waiting for...

Let's Try It!

Ingredients:

King of Beers

• 1 lb. ground bison
• 1 lb. ground bulk sausage(I used Jimmy Dean regular.)
• 5-6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 cans(16 oz.) kidney beans
• 2 cans(16 oz.) pinto beans
• 2 cans (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes w/green chilies
• 1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. Mexican chili powder
• 1/3 c. chopped pickled jalapeno
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt/pepper to taste
• approx. 18 oz. of your favorite beer(I used the King of Beers, Budweiser, 25 oz. can & used about 2/3 can.)
• garnish/toppings - sliced pickled jalapeno's, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions

Preparation:

ground bison

ground sausage

1. In large dutch oven, brown ground bison & drain if necessary. Remove to plate with paper towels. Brown ground sausage & drain. While meat browns, cook bacon (I used the quick & easy microwave.).

2. Combine bison & sausage, stir to combine. Add cooked bacon, stirring to combine.

3. Drain & rinse kidney beans and pinto beans, add to meat. Add diced tomatoes, chopped onion & chopped jalapeno's. Add chile pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, basil, minced garlic. Salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine.



4. Add beer & heat to medium low bowl, stirring well to combine ingredients. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. For a more "soupy" chili add more beer or water as desired. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Looking Good!

O h, so good! The flavors, texture and a little heat does the trick to kick this chili up a notch or two! Toss in some crackers or cornbread and you are set. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. Enjoy! Off to explore more adventures...

Enjoy! WildWSS outta here!