Stacy Lyn’s Award-Winning Chili

Venison gives this crowd-pleasing chili extra depth, but beef works just as well.

The secret to this award-winning chili is in the yellow corn mix. Courtesy of Stacy Lyn Harris

Always make sure that your venison is dry and the skillet is super-hot before you brown the meat. Browning enhances the flavor of the dish by giving it more depth of flavor. The “secret ingredient” in this award-winning chili is the yellow corn mix; Jiffy Corn Mix is my favorite. It gives the perfect earthiness to this dish. By the way, to make this dish go further, serve over rice.

Serves 12

• 1 16-ounce can of tomatoes, diced
• 3 teaspoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 5 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 3 pounds venison stew meat or beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 pounds ground beef
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 can kidney beans
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow corn mix

In a food processor, place tomatoes and chipotle peppers and purée until smooth (This should take only about 10 seconds). In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel. Leave the fat in the pan.