Submitted by: agcomm, Wed Nov 5 18:30:50 1997 Prairie Fare: The Chili that Went Wild [Graphic accompanies this column in hard copy and is available on the World Wide Web.] This is a story about friendship, venison and a lesson, better learned by some than others. The lesson? Never underestimate the power of hot chilies. Several years ago my wife and I had a crop of serrano chilies so bountiful that we had enough growing on our plants to fill several gallon containers. Because we had a killing frost before the serranos had a chance to turn red, I decided to produce the most piquant green sauce north of the Pecos. I succeeded. That's my opinion anyway. We've got a 16-quart stockpot, and after washing and stemming the chilies, that pot was nearly full of unripened serranos, which are about the size of your little finger and considerably hotter than jalapenos. To this chili-laden stockpot, I added a copious number of garlic cloves, onions, water and a touch of rice vinegar, just to add a bit more of an edge. I also added cumin, cocoa, fresh ground coffee, turmeric and other spices I've since forgotten. I got the idea from a recipe for Coney Dogs that had just appeared in an issue of a swanky cooking magazine I subscribed to then. I cooked this concoction overnight and then ran it through a food mill. What I ended up with was about three and a half quarts of pepper pulp. Hot? Oh yeah. We canned three quarts. With the other half-quart, I made a green chili with chicken chunks and navy beans. I diluted the pepper pulp with chicken stock and then thickened the chili with masa harina mixed with water. After we ladled the chili into bowls, we squeezed lime juice over the top and stirred it in. Then we covered half the chili with shredded Colby and put a generous dollop of sour cream on the other half. It was tremendous, although I did have to double my pillow over that night as I slept so my upper torso would be elevated enough to let gravity blunt the heartburn. We decided to give a bachelor friend a quart of our green-chili fixin's so he'd be able to impress some friends he was having over for venison chili on Super Bowl Sunday. He was living in Des Moines, Iowa, at the time so we walked through the preparation via telephone. He called the morning of the Super Bowl in a panic, saying his chili was too hot to eat. How could he fix it? We decided to salvage the meat and only a portion of the cooking liquid. That didn't seem to be enough dilution, so my friend discarded the cooking liquid altogether, rinsed the par-cooked venison and tried again. Last summer we were in Des Moines for my friend's ordination, and when I was introduced to one of the chili eaters, she said, "Oh, you're the one who made that green stuff." I guess I forgot to tell you that my friend decided to enter the seminary later during that same year he made the chili. While there he met the woman who would become his wife. She's an exceptional cook who is discerning about foods that sizzle. I don't know how much any of this had to do with that Super Bowl chili. The recipe that follows is a tamer way to enjoy venison. I've tinkered with it slightly; the original version appears in "Wild Side of the Menu--No. 1: Care and Cookery," which is a publication available from the North Dakota State University Extension Service (HE124). It's also available via the NDSU Extension Service's Web site (http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/he124w.htm). The thickening agent in this recipe is an old-fashioned one: flour and water. Make sure you boil any sauce thickened with flour and water because you want to cook the starchy flour taste out of the sauce. Venison Stroganoff Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients: 2 pounds venison steak cut 1/2-inch thick 2 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 cup finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 beef bouillon cubes 1 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 large bay leaves, crumbled 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup water 1 cup dairy sour cream 4 cups cooked rice Procedure: Cut steak into strips about 2 1/4 inches long. In large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter or margarine till golden brown. Remove and set aside. Brown meat on all sides (15 minutes). Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; pour over meat. Add next six ingredients. Heat. Simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Combine flour and water. Slowly stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat. Add mushrooms, onions and sour cream. Heat but do not boil. Serve over hot rice or chow mein noodles. What's Your Take on This, Julie? Savoring the hunt at the dinner table is one of the rewards of a successful expedition. With its distinctive taste, venison is becoming a popular gourmet menu item in top-notch restaurants nationwide. It's nutritious too. A 3-ounce portion of venison contains about 130 calories, 3 grams of fat and about half the daily protein needs of an adult. At 450 calories and 18 grams of fat per serving, this recipe won't round out your figure either. You can reduce the fat content further by using low-fat sour cream in place of regular. You could also substitute low-fat plain yogurt for the sour cream. Before you arrive at the dinner table, though, there are some food safety considerations to keep in mind along the way. Recent reports indicate that deer and elk can be contaminated with E. coli, a type of bacteria that has primarily been associated with ground beef. Worst case scenario: eating improperly handled contaminated meat could lead to kidney failure and even death. In the field, remember to bleed, field dress and cool the carcass promptly because temperature is meat's worst enemy. Keep the carcass clean by wiping out the cavity with a paper towel or clean cloth and clean water--not grass or snow, which can contaminate the carcass. Cool the carcass by propping open the chest cavity with a clean stick. Keep the carcass cool during transport too. It may be convenient to tie the carcass across the hood of the car or put it in the trunk while it's still warm, but it's a hazardous practice. If you process your own meat, don't cross contaminate. Wash your hands thoroughly and use clean knives and cutting boards. Sanitize cutting boards and knives by immersing them in a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach per quart of water for at least a minute and allowing them to air dry. Fresh meat should be used within three days or wrapped in freezer-wrap and dated for frozen storage up to a year. When it's time for preparation, remember to cook the meat thoroughly. Venison should reach a temperature of at least 160 F and be gray throughout. Since game meats are generally lower in fat, moist heat methods, such as braising in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan, may result in a more tender product. To reduce the gamey flavor of wild game, some cooks prefer to marinate or add spice to the meat. If you're hunting for a new wild game recipe, capture this one for future reference. Preparing wild game safely with a tasty new recipe can help you continue the thrill of the hunt at the dinner table. ### NDSU Agriculture Communication Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187