By Fall roundup. I ran it the same way I ran it last year and it was better, which is how it should work — you do a thing once and find out what you missed, and the second time you don't miss those things. I had three help: Tommy Henderson again, Cody from the sale barn, and this year I added a third hand — a young man named Rafe from a neighboring ranch who owed me a favor from when I helped with his spring calving. Good crew. Three days of work instead of the four it took last year.
Patrick came out in the ATV on day two and watched from the south gate for most of the morning. He didn't say much. At the end of the day, when we had the cattle sorted and the calves weaned and the whole operation processing correctly, he drove back to the house. I came in for dinner and he was at the kitchen table and he said, "Good work today." Three words. From Patrick, three words of specific positive acknowledgment is a speech.
I made elk chili on Sunday with the first batch of the elk meat from the October hunt. The beginning of what will become the definitive version — I'm adjusting this year, adding a different combination of dried chiles, increasing the ratio of pasilla to ancho. The result is richer and more complex than last year's batch. I'm going to keep adjusting, one season at a time, until it's exactly right. That's the way recipes work when you're paying attention.
Two hundred and sixty-six days dry. I am going to make it to a year. I know I am. I can feel the difference between when I wasn't sure and now.
The seasoning blend is where the work happens — not the meat, not the simmer time, but the dried chiles and how you balance them. After Sunday’s batch I wrote down the ratios so I wouldn’t lose them, because this year’s version is closer than last year’s and I don’t want to guess my way back to it next October. This is the blend as it stands now: more pasilla than ancho, a measured hand on the cumin, and room to keep adjusting.
Chili Seasoning
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 5 min | Servings: 8 (makes about 1/2 cup)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until fully blended and no streaks of individual spices remain.
- Taste and adjust. Dip a finger and taste for heat and salt balance. Add more cayenne in small pinches if you want more heat; more pasilla if you want deeper, earthier flavor.
- Store. Transfer to a sealed glass jar or airtight container. Label with the date. Keeps at room temperature away from light for up to 6 months.
- Use. Add 2–3 tablespoons per pound of meat for elk, venison, or beef chili. Bloom in a dry pan or in fat before adding liquid for fuller flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 18 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 290mg