Bison: A New Take on Chili

Last Saturday, I braved the rain and headed to the Durham farmers' market. I was intrigued by the Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm stand selling bison meat on a previous visit so I decided to buy some and take a stab at cooking it. I love chili of all kinds--red chili, white chili, chicken chili--and figured that a bison chili would be a good place to start with this new meat. I used sweet peppers that were also from the farmers' market as well as the NC BBQ sauce discussed earlier.

This chili could definitely be made with ground beef or turkey, but if you get the chance, definitely give bison a try. It's more flavorful than turkey and much better for you than beef. For more information on bison and recipes using it, check out the Sunset Ridge website or the National Bison Association's website. You could also take your own favorite chili recipe and substitute bison!

Bison Chili:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1 lbs. ground bison
• 1 T steak seasoning
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1-2 sweet peppers, diced (I used a combination of red and yellow)
• 1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted but regular would work too)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3-1/2 c bbq sauce
  
• Dash of hot sauce (Or several if you like it spicy)
• Salt and Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat.
Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes.
Add the bison meat and break into small chunks.
Season the meat with steak seasoning, chili powder and cumin.
Brown the meat almost completely and then add the peppers.
Finish browning the meat then add the next 5 ingredients.
Bring the chili to a bubble and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice and top with any of your favorite toppings (cheese, diced tomatoes, onions).

For an easy side dish, try roasted broccoli, which is nuttier and more flavorful than steamed broccoli:

Slice the broccoli into spears and toss it with olive oil, black pepper and parmesan cheese. Spread the spears in one layer onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Roast in a 450F oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

For a printable recipe click here