Venison Chili

This is my version of Hank Shaw's Venison chili.  No "chili spice mix here," just quality meat, fresh spices, rich venison stock and a lot of love. Oh yea and that bacon I mad yesterday... that's what took this over the top.

My friends have been asking me to make chili for Sunday football all season.  We finally harvested a buck upstate in Delaware county  and I thought I'd seize the opportunity to try a recipe I've been eyeing for a while.  Of course I had to add and subtract a little to make it mine.

• 2 lb of Venison stew meat ground
• 1 lb of Pork stew meat ground
• 1/2 lb of bacon small cubes
• 1 lb dried pinto beans (Soaked overnight)
• 1 big white onion minced
• 7 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cayenne green chilies fresh
• 5 dried ancho chilies
• 5 dried chipotle chilies
• 5 guajillo chilies
• 5 cascabel chilies
• 2 tbs sweet paprika
• 2 tbs cumin
• 1 tbs coriander
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10oz or more of dark chocolate
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 3 medium red tomato's diced
• 1 cup weak coffee
• 3 tbs molasses
• Quart of venison stock
• salt to taste
• Cilantro
• Cheese
• Bacon skin (not necessary unless you smoked a belly the day before!)

Preheat the oven to 285

1. Drain beans put them in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil turn down the heat and simmer until they get soft, but not all the way done, about an hour. 
2. Drain and set asside.  Take the stems and seeds out of all the chilies and break them up with your hands.  Cover them with boiling water and let steep for about an hour.  Put the reconstituted chilies in a food pro and puree with the soaking liquid.  Add the coffee here.
3. Add the cubed bacon to a heavy bottom dutch oven to render and brown.  Once nice and crispy put the bacon aside but leave the fat in the pan.  Brown ground meet in batches and put aside. If you put all the meat in at the same time it will not brown correctly! 
4.  In the same pot saute' the onions and garlic and scrape the bottom of the pan.  When the onions are a beautiful caramel color add the ground spices, cinnamon stick and toast for 2-3 min.  Add tomato paste and toast as well.  
5. Now return the meat to the pot and stir in the beans.  Add half of the bacon, the chili puree, diced tomato, molasses, and venison (beef) stock to cover everything.  Salt to taste- 1-2 tbs.
6. Tuck the bacon skin in the middle of the pot, put the lid on and pop it all in the oven.  Cook for as long as you like. Mine was ready in 3 hours.  At the last minute chop up the chocolate and stir in until it melts.  This is the trick my friends chocolate adds a different dimension that no one can figure out.
7. Chop up red onion and cayenne peppers.  Garnish each dish with onions/peppers, cilantro, and any kind of cheese you like.  

Great with long grain rice.