GLWhiskeyKitchen

Soups · · By Ashley

The Buckeye Woodsman's Fire-Roasted Deer Chili

Nothing signals autumn in Ohio quite like the start of deer hunting season.

Jump to recipe
Prep
20 min
Cook
6 hr 30 min
Total
6 hr 50 min
Serves
6 to 8
Level
Easy
A pot of thick red venison chili with kidney beans and diced tomatoes, a wooden spatula resting in it

Where the time goes

6 hr 50 min, mostly waiting

  • Hands-on
  • Hands-off
  1. 01Hands-onQuick-pickle the jalapeño rings10 min
  2. 02Hands-onChop the vegetables10 min
  3. 03Hands-onRender the bacon and sear the venison15 min
  4. 04Hands-onSoften the aromatics7 min
  5. 05Hands-onToast the spices and reduce the beer8 min
  6. 06Hands-offSlow cook on low · or 3 to 4 hr on high6 to 8 hr

The story

Nothing signals autumn in Ohio quite like the start of deer hunting season. Growing up in the Buckeye State, fall meant crisp mornings in the tree stand, the smell of changing leaves, and a freezer stocked with fresh venison. This signature recipe honors those Ohio roots but flips the script on standard Midwest chili.

While Ohio is famous for its sweet, cinnamon-spiked Cincinnati chili or standard tomato-and-bean pots, this recipe builds a bridge between local tradition and aggressive flavor. The unique twist that separates this recipe from others is the triple-threat jalapeño profile combined with a standard Ohio secret weapon: a splash of local amber beer and a touch of maple syrup to cut the gaminess and caramelize the wild venison.

  • A pan of tomato sauce with a whisk on a cutting board, beside a green bell pepper, a yellow onion and a head of garlic
    The base going together.
  • Kidney beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes, red onion, green chilies and the spice blend piled into the pot before stirring
    Beans, tomatoes, onion and the spice blend, right before the stir.

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

Tap an ingredient to check it off.

The meat and base

The peppers and tomatoes

The signature spice and tang blend

The topping: quick-pickled jalapeño rings

Method

Tap a step number to mark it done.

Prep the quick-pickled rings

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil. Put the jalapeño rings in a small glass jar, pour the hot liquid over them, and set aside.

    They turn into bright, tangy, crunchy rings by the time the chili is done.

Render and sear

  1. In a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until completely crispy. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and save it for topping, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.

  2. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the venison. Season generously with salt and black pepper and sear until deeply browned, then lift it out and set it aside.

Build the aromatic base

  1. Turn the heat back down to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper and the 2 finely diced jalapeños to the bacon fat and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and translucent.

  2. Add the garlic and cook for exactly one minute, until incredibly fragrant.

Toast the spices and make the tangy slurry

  1. Stir the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and oregano straight into the vegetables and toast for 2 minutes to wake up the oils in the spices.

  2. Whisk the yellow mustard into the bottle of amber ale and pour it into the pot. Scrape the bottom hard with a wooden spoon to lift every caramelized brown bit, and let the beer reduce by half.

Slow cook it

  1. Scrape everything in the Dutch oven into a slow cooker. Add the seared venison, crushed tomatoes, Rotel, kidney beans, chili beans and the maple syrup, then drop in the remaining jalapeño rings and stir.

  2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the venison is completely tender.

    The mustard emulsifies the liquid into a rich, velvety body while the venison turns melt-in-your-mouth tender.

  3. Serve

    Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon and the quick-pickled jalapeño rings.

Things worth knowing

  • Pickle the jalapeño rings first. They need the whole slow cook to turn tangy and crunchy.
  • Serve it with my Jalapeño Cheddar Skillet Cornbread, made to be dunked in this.

Credits and sources

Ingredients · 6 hr 50 min · Serves 6 to 8

The meat and base

  • 2 lbsground venison
  • 4 stripsthick-cut bacon
  • 1 mediumyellow onion
  • 1green bell pepper
  • 6 to 8 clovesgarlic
  • 1 bottle (12 oz)Ohio amber ale

The peppers and tomatoes

  • 3fresh jalapeños
  • 1 (28 oz) canfire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) canRotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 (15 oz) candark red kidney beans
  • 1 (15 oz) canchili beans in spicy sauce

The signature spice and tang blend

  • 3 tbspchili powder
  • 1½ tbspsmoked paprika
  • 1 tbspground cumin
  • 1½ tbspyellow mustard
  • 1 tspcayenne pepper
  • 1 tspdried oregano
  • 1 tbsppure Ohio maple syrup
  • salt and cracked black pepper

The topping: quick-pickled jalapeño rings

  • 2fresh jalapeños
  • ½ cupapple cider vinegar
  • ½ cupwater
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1 tspsugar

Filed under

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  • Bread
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    Jalapeño Cheddar Skillet Cornbread

    Sharp cheddar and two kinds of jalapeño in a buttermilk cornbread, baked in a screaming-hot buttered skillet. Made to go with the Buckeye Woodsman deer chili.

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