Bison Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, covered with water by 2 inches and left to soak 2-3 hours
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 celery stalk, washed, and cut into 3 pieces
• 6 juniper berries, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied closed ( optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 8-10 cups of water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and medium diced
• ½ pound Cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and julienned
• 1 onion, quartered
• 4 shallots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 pounds ground bison, browned and drained
• 6 green jalapeño  peppers, seeded and diced
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon ground chili pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 slices of Taleggio cheese
• 5 scallions, cut on the bias
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Cooking the black-eyed peas:

Procedure

• Drain the black-eyed peas from the soaking water and rinse them under cold running water in a colander.
• Place them in a large stockpot with the carrots, celery, onion, juniper berries, bay leaves, and water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until peas are tender.  This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours so check often.
• Drain the peas and remove the vegetable pieces and all other aromatics.  Place the drained peas in a pot large enough to make the chili.
• In a large sauté pan, add some vegetable oil and brown off the bison meat.
• Once the meat has browned, add all the spices and the jalapeño.  Stir through the meat thoroughly. Let cook an additional 2 minutes, then season lightly with salt and drain the meat in a colander to remove excess fat. Once drained, add the bison meat to the pot with the black-eyed peas.
• Return the sauté pan to the stove and add a little more olive oil to the pan, if needed. Sauté the shallots, garlic, fennel, and mushrooms. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes while scraping up all the caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan. Then blot out any excess fat and add all to the large pot with the peas.
• Add the beef stock to the pot and stir all ingredients well.
• Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat.
• Let simmer uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until the chili has thickened and developed a nice flavor.
• At the last 10 minutes of cooking add the squash and the thyme and stir through.
• Just before serving add the butter and incorporate it well.
• Taste for seasoning, adjust the salt and pepper if necessary. If you like it spicy hot, add some more ground chili pepper to taste.

To serve

• Ladle the chili into serving bowls.  Top with a nice slice of Taleggio cheese and broil in your oven for 3-6 minutes, just until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble.
• You can garnish with a little extra sliced fennel, diced squash, and sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

If you are looking for a different kind of chili for your Big Game Day, this Bison chili is for you!

Serve immediately while piping hot!