The Perfect Chili Dish

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground venison
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can cream-style ale
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 bay leaves

Step 1

Gently heat some vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground venison and cook it until it’s nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Toss in the bell peppers, carrots, and onion, and keep cooking until the onion turns translucent, around 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds until it smells amazing.

Step 2

Sprinkle in all the spices — chili powder, salt, paprika, cumin, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder — and cook everything together for a minute or two to really bring out the flavors. Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring for about 2 minutes so it doesn’t stick and gets a little caramelized.

Step 3

Pour in the ale and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the tomatoes and cook until they start to break down and release their juices, roughly 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and molasses, and give everything a good stir. Toss in the beans and bay leaves.

Step 4

Bring the chili up to a gentle simmer, stirring from time to time. Lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes so all the flavors have a chance to blend together. Before serving, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then fish out the bay leaves and enjoy!