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.
