This tangy and rich apricot bear chili pays tribute to the fruit of summer! Filled with vibrant, ripe apricots, hearty chunks of sweet potatoes and bell peppers, sweet ground bear meat, and finished with a few cans of beans, this chili is packed plump full of summer flavors.
Apricot Bear Chili
Domesticated in China over 4,000 years ago, the tangy and sweet apricot is a nutrient-dense fruit providing fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin E and C, and potassium. Packed with healthy goodness, the apricot 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.
Normally, summertime does not invoke desires for comfort foods such as chili, but when I started thinking about how I wanted to prepare some bear meat I couldn’t shake the idea of wanting to pair it with fruit. My mindset was also focused on fresh, in-season fruit. I can’t articulate why I decided apricots and bear meat would pair great, but I just had a gut feeling they needed to meet on the plate.
Let’s Get started
I always make chili in my ceramic Dutch oven, but any heavy bottomed pot will do for this recipe. Add a couple good swirls to the pot of the cooking oil of your choice. I used some bear oil for this recipe but any oil you have on hand will work. Heat the oil for a few minutes on medium high and then add the large chopped onion. Sweat the onions until softened and starting to turn translucent, or about five minutes.
Chop up the two bell peppers into bite-size pieces. Since we enjoy our meals with our eyes just as much as our stomachs, I like to add a variety of colors to the pot. Cook the bell peppers for an additional three minutes and then add the minced garlic.
Allow the garlic to cook for two to three minutes, stirring and keeping an eye to not let the pot get too hot or the garlic will start to brown, causing it to develop a bitter flavor. Once the garlic has slightly cooked, it is time to add the ground bear.
Brown the ground bear, about five minutes, and then it’s time to begin the seasoning process. Add the chili powder, cumin, allspice, a little ground coffee, and salt. Stir and coat the meat, onions, and bell peppers thoroughly in the seasonings.
Add the apricot beer to the pot, letting it simmer for a few minutes and then scrape the bottom of the pot, pulling up all the good flavor that has developed in the Dutch oven. Add the apricot pulp and bring the pot to a simmer.
Drain the can of kidney beans. Add them to the chili. Mince up two adobo peppers and add them to the pot. To create additional heat for the dish, add a few tablespoons of adobo sauce. If even more heat is desired, add another minced chipotle pepper.
Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into bite size pieces. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and return the Dutch oven to a gentle boil. Reduce the entire pot to a simmer, cover, and let the chili cook for one hour, fully developing the sweetness from the apricots and the heat from the peppers.
To serve, fill a bowl with a hot, heaping serving of the apricot bear chili and garnish with fresh minced cilantro, more diced onion, and a scoop of sour cream. If more heat is desired add sliced jalapenos and a dash of hot sauce.
This dish is definitely a unique twist on chili. It is smoky hot from the chipotles in adobo sauce but the apricot juice adds a subtle sweetness and tart flavor. Chili is always a hearty and rustic dish, but the complexity of flavor developed from the apricot juice is truly delicious. Enjoy!
Happy Hunting!
Apricot Bear Chili
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ pounds ground meat
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large bell peppers, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 12 oz. apricot-flavored beer
- 15 oz. apricot puree
- 2 cans kidney beans (15 oz. each)
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus an extra scoop of sauce
Instructions
- 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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