Chef Mik's Sweet Ass Buffalo Chili

You can find chili now a day’s pretty much anywhere you go here in the states. Sometimes served on its own or with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, chopped onions and fresh herbs. Sometimes accompanied by rice, or served on hamburgers, hot dogs or even on French fried potatoes. There are chili cook offs, complete with bragging rights, with some of the most inventive if not questionable recipes you can imagine. Chili has also become quite popular in Europe, and other parts of the world.

From a historical stand point there are two widely shared stories of how chili came to be. One of which involves the old wagon train and the settlers push out west. Sense beans could be dehydrated and rehydrated when needed, it made them very convenient to store as supplies for the long trek. It also made it an excellent food source when non else was available. The other story is of a small village in Mexico visited by the spirit of a Spanish female saint. Some go so far as to claim it was the virgin Mary herself. the story goes she instructed the pore villagers how to prepare the dish thus preventing the ill fate that awaited them. However as early as the 15th-16th century in old Europe, after Columbus first introduced beans, they were being incorporated into the cuisine. Eventually finding their way into the stew kettle with the classic Navarin, typically but not necessarily prepared with lam and the addition of white brood beans

Shopping List

1 dl bacon dripping, butter, or canola oil

1 Maui sweet onion or yellow onion

1 green bell pepper

1 Anaheim chili

1 Serrano chili

1 garlic bulb

500g buffalo meat

10 Roma tomatoes or 3-4 411g caned tomatoes

1 tube or 170g can tomato paste

½ dried kidney, pinto, black or red beans

Spices (as needed): cumin, cinnamon, Mexican oregano, granulated garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, chipotle chili  & ancho chili

Salt and pepper (as needed)

My Mad Method

Sauté 1 onion (medium dice), 1 green bell pepper (medium, dice), 1 Anaheim chili (medium dice), and one Serrano chili (fine dice) in 1 TBSPP bacon drippings until translucent, about 5 minutes

Add 2-3 garlic cloves minced sauté 1 minute longer then remove the condense from the pot

NOTE: You can substitute the bacon drippings with clarified butter or oil

Add 1 more TBSPP fat to the pot, heat to smoking point and add 500g ground buffalo (bison) brown well breaking it up as you go

If you can purchase a thicker grind of meat do so, however it is by no mean necessary

Bison flesh is full of flavor, somewhat sweet and lean more heart healthy then regular cattle or so they say…

When the meat is browned add the sautéed onions and chilies back to the pot and warm through, then add the spice mix, stir to combine and sauté 1 minute longer

Spice Mix3 TBSP cumin
3 TBSP cinnamon
3 TBSP Mexican oregano
2TBSP granulated garlic (optional)
1 TBSP each paprika & smoked paprika
1 TBSP each cayenne pepper, chipotle chili  & ancho chili
Salt & pepper to taste

Add 1.5L fire roasted tomatoes (medium dice), 1 TBSP tomato paste, and 1 or 2 bay leaves (optional), bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour

You can roast the tomatoes on an open flame such as on a grill or stove top, or simply purchase them already fire roasted

This is how the stew should look when all of the ingredients have come together

Add the beans, adjust the seasoning and heat just to a boil, cool and refrigerate over night

Kidney beans are quite popular in chili as are white, brood, and pinto, you can precook your own beans or use store bought, try baked or BBQ beans

One day later, add 1 TBSP brown sugar reheat, adjust seasoning to taste and it's ready to serve!!

If using either BBQ or baked beans omit sugar