Venison and Black Bean Chili with Cornbread

This recipe was done by me and my chef friend Susan. Not only do we make bomb food together we also have a lot of fun doing it! Susan's husband had killed a deer and so we decided to use some of the ton of meat she had in the freezer. It was nice because the meat wasn't gamey. I learned that if the animal dies quickly the meat is less tender because if it runs there's a lot of adrenal that toughens the meat. Get to learn something new everyday.

This recipe is from bobby flay and he likes his food really spicy. I left the amounts he put in but if I were to make this again, I would half the spice amount. I had to pour a lot of mexican crema into my chili to stop my sweating! haha.

Ingredients:
Mexican crema or sour cream
For Chili-
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds venison shoulder, cut into 1/3 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bottle dark beer
4 cups homemade chicken stock, or low sodium canned or water
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained and pureed
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

For Cornbread-
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup finely grated cheddar
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the venison with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate and remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

2. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the ancho powder, pasilla powder, and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the beer and cook until completely reduced.

4. Return the venison to the pot, add the chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotle puree, and honey, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes.

5. While chili is cooking make the cornbread. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

6. In a mixing bowl combine the butter, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt. Beat until just mixed.

7. Pour in the buttermilk, cheese, and honey and mixed until combined. Pour into a buttered 10 inch cast iron skillet or a 12 x 12 baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden. Cut into wedges.

8. About 15 or 20 minutes left in cornbread cooking add the beans. They need to cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, and adjust seasonings.

9. Place chili in a serving dish and pour a little mexican crema on top. Add more if the chili is too spicy for you. Serve with a large slice of cornbread and enjoy!!