Garden & Game
← Kitchen collection

Big Game · Compatible large game

Ancho-Cocoa Game Chili & White Beans

Garden & Game kitchen collection · Serves 6 · 20 min prep · About 55 min cooking

Prepared recipe · kitchen testing pending. Cooking times are estimates; follow the method and check doneness with a thermometer.

A ground-meat chili with ancho warmth, cocoa depth, and white beans; not another roast variation.

Compatible species and required cuts

Use these cuts: ground, sausage-trim.

Whitetail: Use trimmed boneless meat; keep backstrap/tenderloin out of long-braise recipes.

Elk: Large muscles must be portioned to the stated cube or steak dimensions rather than cooked as an entire backstrap.

Sika Deer: Use weighed boneless portions rather than animal or roast counts. Trim silver skin.

Mule Deer: Trim silver skin and use the specified tender or working cut; a hind-leg roast is not a quick-cooking steak.

Axis Deer: Weigh after trimming; small backstraps can be portioned across several animals to reach the recipe weight.

Moose: Remove connective seams and cut large muscles to the stated size; an older shoulder may need additional covered cooking.

Caribou: Use weighed trimmed portions and the specified cut; check braising liquid regularly because the meat is lean.

Pronghorn: Use trimmed lean meat and measured added fat; do not substitute a whole leg for the stated cubes.

Bison: Use shoulder/chuck for braises and ground bison for ground recipes; the lean meat benefits from the measured oil.

Nilgai: Use boneless shoulder/roast cubes for slow cooking; allow additional time for an older animal and keep liquid halfway up the meat.

Mountain Goat: Remove tough connective seams; use shoulder for long cooking and inspect tenderness rather than relying on the nominal time.

Bighorn Sheep: Use clean, trimmed shoulder or leg meat as specified; reserve tender loin for another preparation.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb plain ground game 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp ancho chili powder 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz) 2 cans white beans (15 oz each), drained 1 1/2 cups unsalted stock 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Method

Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion and pepper for 7 minutes. Add game and cook 8–10 minutes, breaking up lumps, until several measured portions reach 160°F. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and cocoa for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, beans, stock and salt. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and cook partly covered for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add water 1/4 cup at a time if the bottom begins to catch. Finish with vinegar and simmer 2 minutes. Taste before adding more salt; chili powder blends vary. Use plain ground meat rather than seasoned sausage. For sausage trim, grind only clean boneless meat before starting. Do not use a roast or whole loin without grinding it. Allergens: Check packaged ingredients for allergens.
Save to my cookbook

Sign in, choose a harvest link, then save your private copy and review its serving illustration. Selecting this recipe does not place a cookbook order.

Check each recipe’s required cut and full ingredients before choosing.

Food handling and leftovers

Use safely handled, properly chilled ingredients. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate cooked food promptly and reheat leftovers to 165°F. Follow the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart and CDC guidance for wild game.