Now that these Autumn days are getting shorter and colder, we think it’s the perfect time to fire-up the Dutch oven and make a batch of our slow braised Buffalo & Black Bean Chili.

This hearty dish is loaded with a mix of smokey chilies, earthy black beans and chunks of our fork tender buffalo stew meat for a chili that’s good enough to bring home the gold, which this recipe did a few years back at the annual Jackson Hole High Noon Chili Cook Off!

Smokey Buffalo & Black Bean Chili serves: 4

- 1# JHBMCo. Buffalo Stew Meat

- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or veg. oil

- 1 large onion, diced

- 5 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 Tbsp. dried/ground pasilla chili

- 1 Tbsp. dried/ground smoked paprika/pimentón

- 1 tsp. dried/ground chipotle chili

- 1 Tbsp ground cumin

- 2 tsp. ground black pepper

- 14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, diced

- 1/4 cup molasses

- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

- 2 cups water

- 29 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

- 1/2 Tbsp salt or to taste to finish

- Thaw 1# package of JHBMCo. Buffalo Stew Meat and liberally season with 1 Tbsp kosher salt.

- Pre-heat Dutch oven on med/high heat.

- Add butter (or vegetable oil), then add the seasoned buffalo chunks.

- Aggressively brown the meat on all sides.

- Add onions and brown.

- Add garlic and the dried spices and cook for approximately 1 minute while slowly stirring to bloom the spices.

- Add the fire roasted tomatoes and their juice, along with the water, molasses and cocoa powder.

- Turn heat to low, cover and slowly simmer for 3-4 hours until the meat is fork tender and starting to fall apart.

- Add the drained black beans

and return to the low heat and cook for 1 more hour.

- Adjust with salt to taste

- Enjoy with the usual suspects of grated cheddar, minced onion and lots of tortilla chips for dipping!