Venison Chili

Ingredients

1 pound ground venison
1 small onion, chopped
4.5 ounces chopped green chiles, undrained
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pints canned light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint canned tomatoes
2 quarts tomato juice
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions

Start by adding your ground venison, chopped onion, green chiles, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper to a 5-quart stock pot. Sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent and meat is cooked through.

Drain meat mixture of excess grease and put back in pan.

Drain kidney beans and tomatoes, rinse.

Add kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, and chili powder to the 5-quart pan.

Return to heat and simmer uncovered on low for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the thicker and more flavorful the chili will be. If it’s becoming too thick too quickly, cover it to prevent too much water from evaporating.

Top with sour cream, cheese, and green onions.

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Venison Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound ground venison
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups beef broth or vegetable, no salt added or unsalted
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until done. Transfer bacon and half of the fat to a heat-proof bowl to cool slightly

Break up venison in bowl. Add onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, bacon and fat, and parsley. Mix together until well combined. Let rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and let sit out for 10 minutes.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add bell peppers and saute for another 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.

Push vegetables to the side of the skillet and add venison mixture in the middle. Cook for about 5 minutes until meat is just browned through, mixing everything together.

Add ketchup, 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch into the broth and add liquid to skillet.

Allow broth to absorb, stirring occasionally. You don’t want it to completely absorb, or it won’t have the traditional sloppy texture. You want it to absorb about 75 percent.

Melt the cheese in the microwave for 15-20 seconds at about 70-percent power. Portion sloppy joes onto buns and add melted cheese on top of each sandwich.