Old Timber Outdoors
More elk recipes

Elk stew meat, cubed from the shoulder or neck

Slow Cooker Elk Chunk Chili

Cubes of elk stew meat cooked all day with chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and beans until they fall apart into a thick, spoonable chili.

Serves
8
Hands-on
50 min
Total
9 hr 15 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop + slow cooker · Dinner, Lunch

Ingredients

  • 3 lbElk stew meat, cubed from the shoulder or neck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2Onions, diced
  • 5 clovesGarlic, minced
  • 28 ozCanned diced tomatoes, one large can, with juice
  • 2 cansKidney or pinto beans, 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbspBrown sugar
  • 2½ tspSalt, kosher, plus more to taste
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef or game stock
  • 2 tbsp masa harina or fine cornmeal, mixed with ¼ cup water
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar or fresh lime juice

You'll need

  • Slow cooker
  • Stovetop
  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron

Helpful: instant-read thermometer.

Check labels

Some chili powder blends and stocks contain wheat or soy. Check the labels.

Method

  1. Thaw the elk completely in the refrigerator first; never start a slow cooker with frozen meat. Pat the cubes very dry and toss them with 2 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the elk in two or three batches with space between the cubes, 4 to 5 minutes per batch, turning once a dark crust forms. Move each batch to the slow cooker. Crowded cubes steam gray, and the browning is most of this chili's flavor.
  3. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook until soft and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and tomato paste and stir 1 minute, until the spices smell toasty and the paste darkens.
  4. Pour in the stock and scrape up every browned bit from the skillet, then pour it all over the elk. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice and the brown sugar. Do not stir in the beans yet.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours, until a cube of elk is tender and falls apart when pressed with a spoon. Minutes are only a guide; tenderness decides.
  6. Stir in the beans and the masa harina mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 30 minutes, until the chili thickens and the beans are hot.
  7. Mash some of the elk against the side of the pot so it shreds into the chili. Stir in the vinegar or lime juice, then taste and add salt a pinch at a time (usually another ½ tsp). Serve hot.

When it's done: fork-tender

It is done when a fork slides in and the meat pulls apart with little effort. Tough cuts pass 160°F long before they turn tender, so keep going until they do; if it is still firm, it needs more time, not more heat.

If it goes wrong

Meat still firm after 8 hours
It needs more time, not more heat. Give it another hour on LOW.
Tender but dry and stringy
Elk has little fat, and cooking on HIGH the whole time tightens it. Mash it into the sauce and let it sit 10 minutes; cook on LOW next time.
Tastes flat or muddy
It needs salt and acid. Add salt a pinch at a time and another splash of vinegar or lime until the chili flavor pops.
Thin chili
Leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes on HIGH, or stir in another tablespoon of masa harina mixed with water.
Too spicy
Stir in another can of rinsed beans and a little more stock, and serve with something cool on top.

Leftovers. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers. Reheat to 165°F, stirring.