Apricot Bear Chili
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Domesticated in China over 4,000 years ago, the tangy and sweet apricot is a nutrient-dense fruit providing fiber, antioxidants, vitamins E and C, and potassium. This round, vibrant orange ball is full of healthy goodness but also provides incredibly versatile flavors to add to recipes. While traditionally thought of as a sweet flavor, apricot can be successfully added to sour, savory, or bitter-themed dishes.
Apricots add a new dimension to chili that I couldn’t have imagined unless I actually ate it myself. The apricots develop a tangy, rich undertone to the dish and highlight the subtly sweet flavor found in the bear meat. The chunks of sweet potato and fresh bites of bell peppers also add to the dish without making it seem too heavy or rich.
Serves: 4-6
Time to Make: 1.5 hours
Also Works With: Wild pig, antelope, venison, elk
Looking for more bear recipes? Why not try these smothered bear chops?
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Apricot Bear Chili
Course: Wild Recipes4
servings30
minutes1
hourKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 1 and ½ pounds ground meat
1 tablespoon 1 oil
1 large 1 onion, chopped
2 large 2 bell peppers, chopped
3 cloves 3 garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons 2 chili powder
1 tablespoon 1 cumin
2 teaspoons 2 allspice
1 tablespoon 1 ground coffee
1 tablespoon 1 salt
12 oz. 12 apricot-flavored beer
15 oz. 15 apricot puree
2 cans 2 kidney beans (15 oz. each)
2 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus an extra scoop of sauce
Preparation
- Add one tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Once oil is slightly heated, after two or three minutes, add the chopped onion. Stir to prevent from sticking, and let onion soften for five minutes.
- Add the bell peppers to the pot and cook an additional three minutes. I prefer to use a variety of colors for the bell peppers, but any bell pepper is suitable.
- Add garlic to the pot and cook an additional two minutes, taking care to not let the garlic brown.
- Add the ground meat to the pot. I used bear meat for this recipe, but any wild game meat would taste fantastic, especially pronghorn, elk, or deer.
- Let the meat brown for a few minutes.
- Season the pot with chili powder, cumin, allspice, ground coffee, and salt. Stir everything to fully coat.
- Add the beer and apricot pulp to the pot. Stir.
- Add kidney beans, diced sweet potatoes, and minced chipotle peppers. To intensify the heat of the chili, add more chipotle peppers or some of the sauce from the can.
- Bring pot to a simmer and cover. Cook the chili for one hour, which will allow the flavors to fully develop. Taste to see if more salt is needed.
- Chili can be garnished with fresh onion, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro; for even more heat, add pickled or fresh jalapeños.
- Enjoy!
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