There are soooo many versions of chili out there- which one do you automatically think of?
Colorado chili is not the American-tomato-and-beans kind of chili and it’s important to note that it’s not from the state of Colorado. Colorado refers to the blush, or red color, creating a chili ‘colored red’. Colorado Chili is simply chunks of meat in a red sauce. That’s it! No veggies, beans or tomato sauce.
The whole Colorado Chili is created from dried chilis (seared, soaked and pureed) stewed with pork or beef (or in this case, bison). Serve with rice, avocado or simply a tortilla.
Look for dried chilis that are still pliable (like a raisin) versus brittle which means they are old and won’t have much flavor.
Happy eating,
~Monique
Colorado Chili
4 to 5 dried New Mexico chilies
2 to 3 dried ancho chilies
1 to 2 chiles de arbol or guijillo
salt and pepper
2 tbls olive oil, or ghee
2 lbs bison
1 medium onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
2 tbls fresh oregano, roughly chopped (can use dried if needed)
1 tbls chili powder
1 tbls ground cumin
1.5 cups beef broth
handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
juice of ½ lime
Serve with: brown rice, queso fresco, avocado, and fresh tomato for serving
Toast the dried chili’s in a dry skillet, about 1 minute per side until the skin blisters a bit. Place in a bowl and cover with water, allow to rehydrate until soft for about 30 minutes.
Place in a blender and blend with as much soaking liquid as necessary to create a silky smooth sauce. Strain the sauce and set aside.
Cut the bison into 2-inch chunks. Toss well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat and sear each bison chunk until golden on the outside (you will likely have to do this in batches).
Once all the bison is seared and removed from the pan, add the onions and simmer about 5 minutes to soften.
Add in the garlic clove, oregano, chili powder, and cumin, saute for a minute.
Deglaze the pan with the beef broth. Pour the pepper sauce into the pan. Nestle all the bison in. Bring to a strong simmer then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover and slow cook for 3 hours. Add additional broth if need, but this should be a thick, thick sauce.
Toss in a handful of parsley and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with rice or tortillas, a bit of queso fresco, avocado and fresh tomatoes if desired.
Note: I used my slow cooker for all steps because it can go from flame to crock fixture.
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