Venison Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 strips bacon, cut into pieces
• 900 g of venison for stewing, cut into 3–5 cm pieces.
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (110g) chopped green chili peppers, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1 cup dark beer
• 1 can (800g) of canned whole tomatoes, roasted over a fire, crushed by hand
• 1 can (400 g) lightly salted beef broth
• 1 chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons jarred adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation:

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and bacon and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Pat the venison dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat in several batches in the casserole dish until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the meat to a plate.
3. Once all the meat is browned, add the onion, bell pepper, green chili, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onion and pepper begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and ground chipotle and stir until the vegetables are coated with the spices, about 1 minute. Pour in the beer, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, chopped chipotle peppers and sauce, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer and return the bacon and venison to the pot. Simmer, covered, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and flavorful, 1.5 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes, removing the lid half an hour before the end of the simmer. If the meat is tender but the sauce is too thin, increase the heat to high for a couple of minutes to reduce some of the liquid. Stir frequently to prevent burning.