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Toms BigGame Chili Recipe

by guest blogger Stephen Perrine, publisher, author, and editor-at-large
This winter, I introduced my 4-year-old daughter, Zo, to what has become a cold-weather family ritual, the making of my father’s chili recipe.
While the origins of the recipe are murky–it’s apparently my dad’s reworking of something his brother found and passed along–and its ingredients have evolved over the years, the one thing that has remained consistent is the familial, and perhaps slightly spiritual, nature of the enterprise.
First, there’s the selection of the peppers. Buying fresh peppers is a great way to introduce to a child the whole notion of diversity. While we may have preconceived notions of what a pepper is (round, green, and bland), peppers are, in fact, like people: They come in all different shapes, colors, sizes–and intensity levels. I tend to like red and yellow bell peppers, because they are higher in vitamin content than green peppers, and hold their vibrant colors best in the chili mix. (Orange peppers, while beautiful at first, seem to blend in and get lost in the melting pot.) Low-intensity bell peppers allow you to add heat to taste; I have been burned (literally) by experimenting with habaneros or Scotch bonnets.
Then there’s the tactile nature of the chili-making process. Old clothes, a small child, and access to a sink are critical, as you’ll see. And there’s patience required: For reasons I don’t quite understand, this recipe always tastes better the day after you cook it; like a great sports franchise, a great chili is the result of allowing talented ingredients to coalesce into a team. From many diverse ingredients comes one united flavor front.
TOM’S BIG-GAME CHILI
Ingredients:
1 pounds grass-fed ground beef, buffalo, or venison
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
3 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 large peppers
1-2 medium yellow onions
1 small child
1 16-ounce can dark red kidney beans*
1 16-ounce can light red kidney or pinto beans*
Salt, pepper, chili powder, and hot sauce, to taste
*While soaking your own beans is more economical, I’ve never had the patience for it. If you use canned beans, I recommend Eden Organic, which is the only brand that uses BPA-free cans.
Directions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut the tops off the tomatoes to expose the seeds, and drizzle lightly with oil (I like grapeseed oil, which has a fat profile similar to olive oil but doesn’t impart the same strong, savory flavor).
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