Olympic Recipe: Bison Chili

Executive Chef Dave Danielson and his team from Chicago's Behind-The-Scenes catering are feeding many of the athletes in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Games.

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups dry kidney beans, soaked overnight in 2 quarts of water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil (peanut or canola)
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 large sweet red pepper, diced
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 lbs ground bison
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 x 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
  • 2 x14 ounce cans of tomato sauce
  • 2 small cans of tomato paste
  • 6 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin seed
  • 1 ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seed
  • ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

  • Drain the kidney beans that have been soaking overnight.
  • Put them in a large pot with enough water so that the water level is one inch above the beans.
  • Add 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce heat, continue to stir very occasionally, and cook then until they are tender firm, about 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Drain the cooked kidney beans and set them aside.
  • While kidney beans are cooking prepare the onion, garlic, red pepper and celery.
  • Set the prepared vegetables aside in one medium sized bowl.
  • In a small bowl combine the chili powder, ground cumin seed, oregano, ground coriander seed, and cayenne pepper. Set the bowl of spices aside.
  • Put 2 tbsp cooking oil in a heavy bottom 12-quart stock pot.
  • Over medium to medium-high heat sauté the prepared vegetables for about 3 minutes or until the onion is just beginning to soften.
  • Add the set aside spices to the stock pot.
  • Stir and cook for a about a minute or until the spices begin to color and become aromatic.
  • Immediately add the Bison meat.
  • Break up any bison meat that clumps, and continue to stir and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.
  • Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat immediately.
  • Simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add cooked kidney beans and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes or until desired tenderness in beans is reached. Serve with crusty French bread.

Chili freezes well.

Bon Appetite!

More Olympic Recipes:

Duck Confit & Wild Mushroom Flatbread

Crab Cakes

Salmon Sliders

Contact Us