Title: Crockpot Venison Chili
Categories: None
Yield: 1 Servings

2 lb Venison steaks
1 c Red wine
8 oz Dried pinto beans
1 pk 2-Alarm Chili Seasonings
1 cn (8-oz) of tomato sauce

The night before: Sort through the beans and discard any discolored or
broken beans. Wash the remaining good ones in a colander, then pour into a
dutch oven. Fill the dutch oven with water and boil the beans for five to
ten minutes. Remove from heat and allow to soak overnight. Cube the venison
into 1/2" to 1" pieces and wash well. Put the venison into the crockpot
with the wine, and fill the crockpot about 3/4 full with water. Set the
crockpot on low, cover, and let simmer overnight.

In the morning: Ladle out much of the water from the crockpot. By now, it
will be an excellect venison stock, which can be used later. Keep the stock
covered but easily accessable through the day. Leave approximately 2 cups
of liquid remaining with the venison. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and
seasoning packets. I have found the "2-Alarm Chili" brand at most grocery
stores here in Lubbock, TX. If you are unable to locate this brand, the
spices and approximate amounts are as follows:

: 3 T. chili powder
: 1 t. oregano
: 1 t. salt
: 1/2 t. garlic powder
: 1 t. dried onion flakes
: 1 t. red pepper powder (cayenne) (optional)

All of the spices may be adjusted for taste, particularly the red pepper,
but since we like our chili spicy, the whole shebang went into the pot! If
you do use the "2-Alarm Chili" brand, do NOT add the masa at this time!

Throughout the day: Let the chili cook on high for the first 2 or 3 hours.
Add venison stock as needed if it begins to dry out. Reduce heat to low
after a few hours, still checking occassionally to see if it needs more
liquid.

One half hour before serving: Mix the masa from the kit with 1/4 cup of
water to form a thick liquid. If not using the kit, mix approximately 2
teaspoons of masa harina with 1/4 cup of water. Add the masa mixture to the
chili and stir in well. At this point, I usually make up a batch of
homemade cornbread. This way, chili and cornbread will be ready together.

Dinner: Everyone got a bowlfull of chili topped with shredded chedder if
they wanted and a big slice of cornbread with butter. Various drinks were
handed out, and we all watched Home Improvement! (*gruntgruntgrunt*)
Afterthought: The chili was very good, but quite spicy. Those without
cast-iron stomachs may want to reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper. The
cornbread was wonderful. If anyone wants the recipe, I'll hunt it up
tonight and post it tomorrow. Beef also works well with this chili, but not
as good as venison.

Posted to EAT-L Digest 02 Jan 97

From: Alicia Feazell

Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 11:14:52 -0600