Bison or sausage pep up chili recipes

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 19, 2006

No apres-ski menu is complete without chili. It’s a great way to warm up, and fill up, after burning calories cutting tracks in the snow.

Every season, chef Mike Sheard serves up a blend of buffalo meat and ground turkey in his chili at Two Elk, the flagship restaurant on Vail Mountain in Colorado. Buffalo meat, also called American bison, is widely available at most large grocers and natural foods stores.

Further east, the kitchen staff at Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y., serves up more than 12,000 bowls of Whiteface Mountain Chili, a recipe developed by chef Kenneth Clapp. It is made from sweet Italian sausage, beans and plenty of seasonings.

Both recipes make enough to feed a crowd.

Buffalo chili

4tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

11/4pounds buffalo stew meat (cut into large chunks)

11/4pounds ground buffalo meat

10ounces ground turkey

2cups diced yellow onions

2cups finely diced red and green bell pepper

3garlic cloves, minced

2tablespoons chili powder

1tablespoon cumin

1tablespoon dried oregano

2teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

228-ounce cans diced tomatoes

115-ounce can crushed tomatoes

115-ounce can tomato puree

128-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

115-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

115-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2tablespoons diced jalapenos peppers

Salt, to taste

In a large heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over a high heat. Add enough of the buffalo stew meat to cover the bottom of the pan. Sear the meat, in batches if needed, using tongs to flip the pieces to get all sides. Transfer the meat to a large bowl.

Add 1 cup cold water to the pot to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the meat to the pot and add enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Meat should be very tender.

Meanwhile, in a second large pot over medium heat, add remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground buffalo and turkey. Saute, stirring to break up, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion, peppers and garlic. Cover and cook about 5 minutes.

Transfer the ground meat and vegetable mixture to the original pot with the buffalo stew meat. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat 1 hour. Season to taste with salt.

Whiteface Mountain chili

2tablespoons vegetable oil

21/2pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1large Spanish onion, quartered

4medium stalks celery

2medium carrots

2green bell peppers, seeded and quartered

128-ounce can diced tomatoes

1cup medium salsa

115-ounce can tomato puree

110-ounce can chili sauce

1tablespoon chili powder, more or less to taste

1/2tablespoon cumin

1teaspoon white pepper

1teaspoon dried oregano

1teaspoons dried basil

1teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3cloves garlic, minced

1bay leaf

2tablespoons chopped jalapeno peppers

215-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

115-ounce pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over a medium heat until nearly smoking. Add the sausage and saute until it resembles a coarse crumble, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the onions, celery, carrots and green peppers in a food processor and pulse until very finely diced. Add the vegetables to the sausage and saute another 6 to 8 minutes, or until soft.

Add diced tomatoes, salsa, tomato puree and the chili sauce. Stir and bring it to a simmer, then cook 10 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, white pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic, bay leaf and jalapenos. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes. Add the beans and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.