Let's Talk BBQ

Recipes => Recipes => Game Meats => Topic started by: ACW3 on December 15, 2013, 04:06:39 PM

Title: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: ACW3 on December 15, 2013, 04:06:39 PM
My wife and I have been putting on a Christmas Party for 40 years now.  It started out as a family get together to decorate our tree.  Initially I started making venison chili, using whitetail and then mule deer as the base meat.  Since then I have graduated to elk chili.  Several times I have made buffalo chili.  Now, primarily I just cook elk chili.  Our parties became so popular with family and friends that I had to make two pots of chili.

Since my wife was extremely limited in what she could help with this year (she is preparing to have her left knee replaced at the end of January) I had to do a lot of baking that I normally don’t get involved with.  I actually enjoyed the baking aspect quite a lot.  Preparation this year required a lot of multi-tasking on my part.  I decided to try something different while preparing the chili this year.  Instead of using my wok to cook the onions, ground elk and ground pork like I have been doing for years, I decided to do most of the cooking on my MAK.  With the MAK set at 225, I could even introduce a little smoke flavor to my chili.  I also decided to make the sauce separately and let it develop its flavor first before adding any meat.  I have found previously that the ground meat will start to get “mushy” as a result of overcooking during the simmer stage if I put it all together at once.  I usually add two spice dumps at different times during the process.  Since I added the meat much later, I had to add a third spice dump when I re-seasoned toward prior to serving.  It came out really good.  I think I will be using this process again in the future.

Here are a few pictures of my Elk Chili, 2013.

Thawed elk meat, about 13.5 pounds.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/001_zps55e9e65e.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/001_zps55e9e65e.jpg.html)

Ground pork, about 7.5 pounds in the MAK.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/003_zps26cc9321.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/003_zps26cc9321.jpg.html)

Part of the elk meat in the MAK.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/005_zpsd9809006.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/005_zpsd9809006.jpg.html)

Onions prior to cooking, about 4.5 pounds.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/007_zpsf5c49865.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/007_zpsf5c49865.jpg.html)

The base sauce simmering and developing its flavor.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/014_zps46520226.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/014_zps46520226.jpg.html)

I used my LEM grinding tub to mix all the cooked elk and pork.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/015_zps7bc36338.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/015_zps7bc36338.jpg.html)

I used a 7 quart crock pot and the roaster pan to hold all the chili.  This is what it looks like in the roaster pan.  The roaster pan holds almost twice the amount of my crock pot.  A whole lot of chili.

(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/018_zps33cda244.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/018_zps33cda244.jpg.html)

We had 65 people in attendance.  I managed to save a couple of small containers of chili for myself.  Warmed up a big bowl for lunch today.  It really is better later.

Art


Title: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Pappymn on December 15, 2013, 04:11:52 PM
Looks great sir! You forget the beans though
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Pam Gould on December 15, 2013, 04:17:52 PM
Ok Art..what did you bake? and did you dig out the Christmas dishes?  Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: sliding_billy on December 15, 2013, 04:18:25 PM
Very funny Pappy, but he said he made chili.  ;)  Looks great!
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: smokeasaurus on December 15, 2013, 05:24:12 PM
Pappy is a instigator, nothing causes more controversy round here than beans and chili........ :D

"I can help Pappy, send me a pm"
(http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc469/s1cott11/funny%20icons/dr-oz-muffin-top-melt.jpg) (http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/s1cott11/media/funny%20icons/dr-oz-muffin-top-melt.jpg.html)
Title: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Pappymn on December 15, 2013, 05:35:45 PM
Pappy is a instigator, nothing causes more controversy round here than beans and chili........ :D

"I can help Pappy, send me a pm"
(http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc469/s1cott11/funny%20icons/dr-oz-muffin-top-melt.jpg) (http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/s1cott11/media/funny%20icons/dr-oz-muffin-top-melt.jpg.html)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/16/uzyqu3ys.jpg)
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: teesquare on December 15, 2013, 05:47:29 PM
It was really good chili…And not a bean within 20 miles of it... ;) :D
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: smokeasaurus on December 15, 2013, 06:01:15 PM
We might have to double it, this might be a tough one.......
(http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc469/s1cott11/funny%20icons/thumb.png) (http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/s1cott11/media/funny%20icons/thumb.png.html)
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: CDN Smoker on December 15, 2013, 06:04:24 PM
I love Elk but the easy part is pulling the trigger. Sounds like a fun time ;D

Ok new information, no beans in chilli?? ???

We put beans in our chilli up here but maybe I have been doing it wrong?
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Sam3 on December 15, 2013, 06:26:23 PM
I love Elk but the easy part is pulling the trigger. Sounds like a fun time ;D

Ok new information, no beans in chilli?? ???

We put beans in our chilli up here but maybe I have been doing it wrong?

Nothing wrong CDN. Check out Smoking Don's chili if you like beans in yours, he posted the recipe too. It's excellent.
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: ACW3 on December 15, 2013, 06:30:04 PM
Okay, I don't cook my chili with beans.  That doesn't mean I won't eat chili with beans.  To me the beans are a side dish.

Pam,
I made some Jan Hegel's and oatmeal cookies in the oven.  I made some Joe Joe Balls using Trader Joe's candy cane cookies.  They are like Oreos with crushed up candy cane in them.  I didn't dip them in chocolate, but I did pot some white chocolate swirls on them and dust them with crushed up candy canes.  Easy to make and really delicious.

Art
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: HighOnSmoke on December 15, 2013, 07:28:24 PM
Chili looks awesomely delicious Art!
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Hub on December 16, 2013, 06:48:35 AM
Fantastic looking chili, Art  ;D

Hub
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: fishingbouchman on December 16, 2013, 06:57:08 AM
65 people   ???  Chilli looks great
Title: Re: Elk Chili: A Different Approach
Post by: Scallywag on December 16, 2013, 08:51:42 AM
Looks really good, I put beans in mine as well...  8)