So, I realize now why I have never published recipes.  I suck at following any kind of formula, and I can’t keep up with what I do while I’m cooking.  Maybe I’ll get someone to video the whole thing next time.  Hmmm…. the HogBlog Wild Game Cooking Show?  I doubt it.

Anyway, I did sit down to do a batch of my infamous chili (not famous, infamous…I’m using it correctly, trust me) last night, with camera and notepad at the ready.  Unfortunately, I also rolled out the makings for my equally infamous margaritas.  The results are to be expected.  Chili came out great, but I still have no idea how I did it. 

By the way, one of the reasons for this chili’s infamy is that it is definitely on the spicier side… it can be toned down as needed, but the recipe below will create something on the level of a two-alarm chili.  Some milder palates may even think it’s three alarm, but I have had three-alarm chili and this is not that. 

Here’s my best guess at the recipe.

First you have to kill a pig (or a deer, elk, whatever… for this batch, I used blackbuck antelope and wild boar).

I cut the meat into chunks, about an inch or so, dust it real good with Pappy’s seasoning, and brown the meat in a skillet.  I do all of my browning and saute in olive oil, by the way.  Bacon fat is a great alternative for some different flavor.  Something I’ve done in the past that worked really well was to brown the meat on a grill, over charcoal.  It does a great trick with the flavor.  Just don’t cook the meat through… you only want to brown it.

Browning the meat for chili

Once the meat is browned, I toss it into a big stock pot.  How big?  How much chili are you making? 

I made a good-sized batch last night, so there’s probably about two pounds of meat in it altogether.  I used an eight-quart (two gallons) stock pot.  You can use pretty much any kind of meat in chili, by the way.  Just consider it a really thick stew…

So what goes in this thick stew?

I’ll list the basic ingredients.  All of the vegetables are fresh and cut by hand, with the exception of the crushed tomatoes.  I have used a food processor and you can too, but it seems to take some of the “love” out of the cooking to use a machine. 

Unfortunately, I’m really fuzzy on the proportions.  I never measure and seldom count when I cook.  I just add what I like, and do the rest by smell and flavor. 

  • Meat, as already described 
  • Tomatoes – about six, diced
  • Celery – four or five stalks, chopped
  • Red bell peppers – two big ones, chopped
  • Anaheim peppers – one big pepper, diced fine
  • Wax, caribe, or yellow peppers – about four or five, sliced
  • Pasilla peppers – two, sliced
  • Habaneros – three, chopped
  • Jalapenos (I like the red ones) – four or five,  chopped
  • One big (not jumbo) sweet onion – chopped
  • One medium bulb of garlic – don’t worry, there are enough peppers to equalize the garlic
  • Ground cumin – if I had to guess, I’d say a tablespoon for the size batch I made last night… do it to taste.
  • Cayenne pepper – a good, heavy shot
  • Ground cinnamon – maybe a real light tablespoon (secret ingredient)
  • Coarse ground black pepper – a good, heavy dusting
  • Salt – about a heaping teaspoon.  You could use more, but I don’t care much for salty chili. 
  • Big can of tomato sauce – I used crushed tomatoes last night, because I was out of tomato sauce…not quite the same, but it worked OK

There may be something else in there… can’t recall.  This is a good start.  The wonderful thing about dishes like chili, gumbo, jambalaya, stew, and the like is that there’s no hard-and-fast rule.  If you like it, put it in there.  Don’t be afraid to push the limits a little bit. 

So anyway, after browning the meat as described above, I like to sautee the “trilogy”…onions, bell peppers, and celery (I’m not a trained chef… if this isn’t the “right” trilogy, you’ll have to get over it…this is my blog).  Don’t cook it down, just sautee until the onions start to get a little clear.  They’ll cook the rest of the way in the chili. 

All of the other ingredients go in the stock pot with the meat.  Once the trilogy is done, toss it in too.  Stir it all together over medium high heat until you get a pretty good boil going, then bring it down to simmer.  Keep stirring occasionally and let it simmer on low heat for as long as you think it should, then add another hour.  If you keep the heat low and stir to keep stuff off of the sides, it won’t burn. 

Chili cooking

You can use a crock pot instead if you like.  I’ve done it both ways.  The crock pot is good for letting it cook overnight, which does some really cool things to the flavors.  However, slow cooking in the stockpot also has it’s own sort of unique flavor… you have to decide what you want to do.  I’d recommend the crockpot if you are using particularly tough cuts of meat, since you can cook for 8 or 12 hours as needed to break down the chewy parts. 

Speaking of that, you might be wondering which cuts of meat I use or recommend.  There are two schools of thought on that.  Maybe more than two.  One school says to use prime cuts of meat for the best chili.  That sort of makes sense, but then the other school says that’s a waste of prime cuts, so use the lesser cuts.  That makes sense too.  The slow cooking process tenderizes tougher cuts, and the blend of flavors makes up for anything the sub-prime cuts are lacking. 

But I finished school a long time ago, so I have my own approach.  I use whatever I have most of, but what I use most is the “scrap” from butchering.  That includes the ends of various roasts (primals), as well as smaller bits that didn’t quite make it in the first cut.  I try not to waste anything when I butcher, so all those little pieces parts become either “scrap meat” or sausage. 

So, for better or worse, there it is.  Give it a go if you’d like.  If you do, let me know how it came out! 

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