Chili just might be the perfect cold-weather dish. Hearty, warming, chock-full of texture and flavor. Plus, it’s suitable for nearly every level of cook and eater. Use chunks of meat, such as beef short rib and lamb, for a gourmet version. Use ground meats for speed and ease. Omit the meat for a vegetarian bowl.
For the big football game this year, lean venison will form the base of a flavorful chili. This game meat tastes a bit like beef but is much less rich. Occasionally, friends and cousins deliver gifts of venison stew meat from their recent adventures. More readily available is farm-raised venison, imported from New Zealand, found at the local supermarket. Farm-raised venison tends to be more tender, milder tasting, and less gamey than wild venison.
Chili may present as a meat-lover’s dish, but it easily accommodates a big bunch of vegetables and lean protein sources such as beans. Pale, creamy butter beans make a dramatic statement in a dark bowl of chili, and large white beans can stand in for them.
To prepare ahead, cook dried beans three or four days before making the chili. Alternatively, swap in canned butter beans or large white beans when time is tight. For a dark bean chili, use huge scarlet runner beans or canned dark red kidney beans for another variation.
For the vegetables, carrots offer a sweetness to counter red chile powder. Fresh poblano chile peppers add texture and color; they can be quite spicy so taste them before adding to the pot. Use red bell peppers to keep things on the mild side. Roast a pepper or two to peel and cut into strips for a great garnish.
Garnishes take a bowl of chili into party fare. Make guests feel creative by setting out a tray full of various sizes of bowls of toppings—large bowls of corn chips and crackers, medium-sized bowls of shredded cheese and lettuce, and small bowls of chopped fresh cilantro, roasted and pickled chiles, sliced green onions, sour cream, and hot chili flakes. Everyone can add these items as they wish.
To round out your spread, serve chunks of warm cornbread as a winning accompaniment. Purchase baked cornbread from the bakery aisle or zhuzh up a boxed mix by adding shreds of sharp Cheddar and sliced chives.
Put out a tray of beer garnishes, too, such as bottles of hot sauces and wedges of lemon and lime. For extra flair, a chili powder and salt-rimmed beer mug always scores points.
