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RECIPE: Buffalo Chili
In the latest Notes from the Weekend, I promised you my recipe for buffalo chili - which I normally refer to as bison chili when circa-1988 videos of Neneh Cherry are not involved.
RECIPE: Buffalo Chili
In the latest Notes from the Weekend, I promised you my recipe for buffalo chili — which I normally refer to as bison chili when circa-1988 videos of Neneh Cherry are not involved. What ground bison lacks in fat (most blends are a lean, mean 90/10) it makes up for in rich, wild, free-grazin' flavor, and the meat has the added benefit of being way lower in saturated fat and calories than chili's traditional protein, ground beef.
If you can't get your hands on bison, this recipe will work with ground chicken, turkey, beef or lamb. The powerful mole spice blend is the more important element. Think of it as an abridged, powdered version of dozen-ingredient sauce from Puebla; I don't claim it to be authentic, but it'll make the whole house smell like you’ve got a Mexican granny in the kitchen.
Bison Chili
(Serves 8)
Go Get This:
For the mole spice ...
1 tbsp. fennel seed*
1 tbsp. coriander seed
1 tbsp. cumin seed
1 tbsp. plain roasted peanuts, almonds or cashews
1 tsp. whole coffee beans
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the chili ...
1 lb. ground bison
1 red onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 habanero, Scotch Bonnet or Thai bird chili, split
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 can kidney beans, drained and well-rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup dark beer
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. coconut oil**
Salt and pepper to taste
For the garnish ...
Fresh cilantro leaves
Pickled red onions***
Now Do This:
Start with the mole blend by toasting everything but the cinnamon over low heat until fragrant. Cool and blend in a spice or coffee mill. Transfer for a bowl and whisk in the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Divide into thirds.
For the chili, heat 1 tbsp. coconut oil in a deep stock pot. Meanwhile, mix 1/3 of the mole spice through the ground bison. Brown the meat in the pot in two batches, breaking it into large crumbles with a wooden spoon. Don’t cook it through; the bison should still be bright red inside. Remove the meat and add the second batch, browning the same way. Remove.
Add the second tbsp. of coconut oil, plus the red onion, jalapeno and another 1/3 of the mole spice blend. Sweat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add tomato paste, cooking an additional 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar, scraping up all the obstinate bits of bison and spice sticking to the bottom. Reduce by half.
Once the vinegar has reduced, add the beer, stock, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, split chili, par-cooked bison and final 1/3 of the mole spice blend. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn down to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
After half an hour, remove the lid from the pot and stir in the beans. Simmer 5 more minutes to warm beans through. Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice, cornbread or quinoa. Garnish with cilantro and pickled red onions.
* Whole spices are best, but it's fine if you only have ground on hand. Just use 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon for each.
** I had a jar of coconut oil hanging around, so I tried it as the fat in this recipe. It lent a pleasant, very faint tropical essence to the chili. You can also use whatever fat you like.
*** Make a pickling solution with 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar and any desired spices. Place in a lidded container and shake to dissolve. Add finely sliced red onions and store in the fridge. They’ll be ready in an hour or so.
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