Barley Chili -- When the Recipe Is Fixed and the Ritual Holds

May. The ranch in May is everything happening at once. The calves are growing, the pastures are green, the equipment is serviced, the farrier schedule is full with the spring rush of people who want their horses done before the riding season. I've been working six days a week, splitting the days between ranch and farrier work.

Tom Whelan stopped by this week. He came to look at the horses, the way he does, though he's not in the business of making farrier calls anymore — he retired from active work in March, which I didn't know he was planning and which he announced by simply not scheduling any more appointments. He said on Wednesday, standing in the barn looking at the horses I'd just shoed, "You're better than I was at this point." I said, "You taught me." He said, "You would've gotten there anyway. But you would've taken longer."

I posted the piece about the drive to Salina on the blog. Not the most personal details — not the headstone or what I said to Derek or the eyes — but the drive itself, the fourteen hours through Wyoming and Nebraska, what it does to a person to travel a great distance to stand in a specific place and then leave. The response was the same as the essay: quiet and particular. The Wyoming man wrote: "That's the pilgrimage you've been building toward." He's right. I've been building toward it since Fort Carson.

I made the elk chili again this week from last October's supply. I'm already thinking about this fall's elk hunt and what I want to do differently with the stock. The recipe is fixed. The ritual is fixed. The hunt is what needs to be lived into again.

The elk chili I made this week isn’t elk chili in the complicated sense — it’s chili that happens to carry weight because of where the meat came from and what it cost to get it. Barley is what makes it mine: it thickens the pot differently than beans alone, gives it a body that holds up over a long simmer, and stretches a batch through a full week of six-day ranch work. Tom said I would’ve gotten there anyway. This recipe is proof that some things you arrive at and don’t leave.

Barley Chili

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground elk (or ground beef, 85/15)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 2 cups beef broth (or elk stock if available)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground elk and cook, breaking it apart, until fully browned, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Soften the aromatics. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper to the pot. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the spices. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Toast the spices with the meat and vegetables for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Build the base. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add barley and beans. Stir in the rinsed pearl barley, kidney beans, and black beans. Bring the pot to a boil.
6. Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is fully cooked and tender and the chili has thickened. Add a splash of broth if it becomes too thick.
7. Taste and adjust. Season with additional salt, pepper, or chili powder to taste. Let the chili rest uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, or sliced green onions if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 370 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 620mg