Bundle Up! : One Pot Venison Steak and Black Bean Chili
It’s that time of the year where the temperature outside is dropping like a rock, and the markets are heading indoors for the holidays. We have that same mindset in our household. We hunker down, pull out the cold weather clothes, and at least for me, I start emptying out the freezer so that we can preserve some of the goodies were purchased through the fall. I liken it to a spelunking adventure in a deep ice cave, under constant threat of an avalanche of ice cascading down upon me.
My latest attempt to wade through the icebergs of our freezer generating a surprising find: Venison steaks. I don’t go hunting on anything like a regular basis at all, so I began trying to wrack my mind figuring out where this had come from. Needless to say, I never did figure it out. I did, however, figure that since we have some venison steaks, I might as well find a way to use them! Sounds like a great time to break out my favorite chili recipe and alter it a bit for the Venison meat. It’s a very simple, straightforward chili with a few added layers to make the whole thing meld together beautifully! I present: One Pot Venison Steak and Black Bean Chili!
It’s a mountain of chili and cheese!
There’s something about the texture of biting into a piece of steak in a chili that really just takes things to the next level for me. This could easily be done with ground meat if that’s your fancy, don’t get me wrong at all! For me though, I’ve gotta have that steaky, chunky texture. Plus, this chili is spiced so warmly, that its very easy to get lost in the hearty ocean of tomatoes, beans, and meat on a cold, blustery day.
This spoonful is sinful
The first thing to do before some chili magic can happen is to get some prep work done ahead of time. This makes everything super streamlined and efficient once cooking begins, and let’s be real, it feels awesome to not have to stop and prep something when you are on a roll. This is called Mis-en-Place, or ”everything in its place”. Start by dicing up your onions and your jalapenos, and setting those aside in a bowl or container of your choice. Then, slice up your venison in about 1 to 2-inch chunks. We want these tender morsels of steak to be nice and bite-sized! Set those aside for now as well. Next, let’s prep the Juniper salt. Place the dried juniper berries, and an equal measure of flaky sea salt in a spice grinder with a spattering of peppercorn. Blitz this until it’s a fine powder. This mixture, along with flour, is going to coat the venison, and bring out the sweetness in the meat while tempering the gaminess.
Ruby venison meat is so enticing!
Go ahead and dump that spice blend into a bowl, and add an additional 3 tablespoon or so of flour and mix well. Then drop your cubed venison in there, and mix it around well. You want every inch of the meat coated with this juniper flour mixture. When the meat is sufficiently coated, get a decent sized pot (at least 6 quart or larger) and toss in a drizzle of vegetable oil to heat up over medium-high. You want this to be nice and hot, so that when the venison hits the surface, it instantly sizzles and sears. As soon as the oil is hot enough do just that, pour all this venison into the pot and get it nice and seared on all sides.
As it cooks, there should be a nice little crust that will form on the bottom of the pan. This is super important to the process, so don’t scrape it up and throw it away! This is called fond in the official kitchen vernacular, but in my kitchen, we call this flavor! Once the meat is seared enough and looking nice and brown, remove it from the pan, and add in the onions and jalapenos. Give these a nice salting once they are in the pan to help extract their flavor, and stir them around. Be sure to stir around the build up of flavor o the bottom of the pan. As the onion release some of the liquid inside them, it will help dissolve same of that flavor right into the onions and jalapenos, giving this chili an additional layer of depth. Once the onions are rendered down a bit and nice and translucent, add the meat back in and stir everything together.
Look at all that caramelization on the bottom of the pan!
Next is the fun part where everything really comes together and sets the stage for an incredible one pot meal. After the venison is mixed back into the pot, add in the tomato paste, garlic, and remaining spices all at once. Stir this around until everything is nice and coated, and the smell of the spices is especially fragrant. Then add in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and bouillon cubes, a little water (a scant ¼ cup should do), and then bring to a boil. Once its all bubbly, reduce the heat down to medium low, and cover with a lid, askew just enough so that steam can exit the pot. You’ll want this to sit for a while so that all the flavors can mingle together and intensify. As the chili cooks slowly that liquid will evaporate, and the chili will thicken and condense. Other than stirring it every 30 minutes or so to ensure nothing is burning, don’t touch it! Let the chili do its thang!
It’s so thicc!
After 2 hours or so have passed, its ready to serve! I like to serve this with some simple spicy crema of hot sauce and sour cream, along with a nice tangy Monterrey Jack cheese on top. Finally, I sprinkle an every so slight amount of smoked sweet paprika on top.
Smoky and Delicious!
Usually when I go spelunking the cavernous depths of my freezer, it’s a bit of a chore. But sometimes, there’s a little gold mine waiting to remind you that it not only exists, but can turn your day around, and generate a comfy, warm setting all in one. Sitting down to a bowl of this chili, after being in the cold(of my freezer anyways, which pales in comparison to Dylan who is literally out in the cold for his job) really turns the whole day around, injects strength into those overused muscles, and makes you feel at home. That might explain why Dylan jumped for joy as soon as he walked through the door! Nothing gets you more excited than the prospect of comfort on a cold day.
Swan dive into the best chili on a cold day!
Recipe: One Pot Venison Steak and Black Bean Chili
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Venison Steak or Venison Tenderloin
2 medium yellow onion
2-3 jalapeno peppers
2 10-14 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 10-14 oz cans black beans
2-4 Beef bouillon cubes
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
3 minced garlic cloves.
For the Spices:
1 tbsp Chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Dried Oregano
3 tbsp Juniper Berries
3 Tbsp flaky Sea Salt (and more for seasoning
3 tbsp all purpose flour
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
1. Prep the ingredients. Cut the onion in half through the north and south pole, and proceed to slice into a medium dice. Dice the jalapenos as well. Slice the venison steak into small 1 to 2 inch cubes and set aside. In a small spice grinder, place the juniper berries, measured sea salt, and a good cracking of pepper, and blitz into a very fine power. Set aside in a large bowl, and combine with the flour. Place the meat into the bowl with the blended spices, and toss to evenly coat.
2. Place a 6 qt pot over medium high heat, and drizzle in some oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, place beef into pot. Break up the chunks of meat so they do not stick, then let sear for 3-4 minutes each side, stirring rarely. A nice crust should form on the bottom of the pan. Once seared, remove the meat and set aside.
3. Once the oil has heated up again, place the onion and jalapenos into the pot. Let render for 10 minutes or so, stirring with a wooden spoon to scoop up the crust on the bottom. This will add flavor. Once translucent, add the meat back into the pot, and add all remaining spices, garlic, and tomato paste. Stir together and cook until very fragrant and evenly coated.
4. Once fragrant, add in tomatoes, beans (with liquid) and bullion, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so to ensure nothing is burning, and to help incorporate the flavor of the crust on the bottom of the pan. If done right, the crust should melt into the chili, leaving a clean bottom. Serve with a tangy crema of hot sauce and sour cream, and tangy cheese like Monterey Jack.
