Venison Chili

For most of my life, I was not a big fan of chili. Then, several years ago, we found a restaurant in Charlotte, NC that serves the best chili I had ever had to date.  That started me off on a quest to make my own chili recipe, and for several years I struggled with ingredient mixtures, trying to find something good.

After a lot of false starts, I've finally invented the perfect recipe.
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 can Del-Monte zesty chili style tomatoes
  • 1 can Rotel Original tomatoes and chilis
  • 1 small onion
  • Red pepper flakes
  • McCormick's Mexican chili powder
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup ketchup
Brown the venison, chopping the onion and adding it to the meat while it cooks.  I like to spice the meat with garlic powder and Cavender's Greek seasoning, but you can use whatever you want.

Put both cans of tomatoes in a pot along with the rest of the ingredients.  Use the red pepper flakes and chili powder to suit your tastes -- the more the better, in my opinion.  You can also add a little bit of cayenne pepper for more heat.  If you really want your chili to be hot, use Rotel "Extra Hot" tomatoes and chilies insttead of the Original variety.

Simmer for as many hours as you want, again, the longer the better.  Top with grated cheese and sour cream and serve hot on a cold day.  It's even better if you refrigerate it overnight before reheating it to serve.

Also great on hot dogs!