Red Bell Peppers Stuffed With Venison and Chorizo

This dish is a pleasing combination of gourmet preparation with southwestern flavors and the satisfaction of comfort food. If you don't have access to venison, you could use beef; however, if you do have venison on hand, this is a great way to showcase the delightful flavor of deer meat. (Note: This recipe is very hot. If you wish to make it less spicy, omit one or two chipotle peppers. Unfortunately, you'll also be omitting some of the great smoked flavor the chipotles provide.)

Ingredients

For venison preparation:

8 oz. venison steak

6 cloves garlic, diced

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 750 ml bottle red wine

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup water

For peppers:

4 red bell peppers, cored

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced

4 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 link chorizo sausage, diced

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

6 green onions, chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup long grain rice

1/2 cup water

1/2 venison stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

4 oz. pepper jack cheese

Directions

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat in a stock pot. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and 6 cloves of diced garlic. Coat venison with the olive oil mixture; then, sear venison on all sides in the heated oil. Add wine and water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 2 hours.

Once venison is cooked, set aside and combine 1/2 cup venison stock with 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of rice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

While the rice cooks, begin cooking the diced chorizo in a large sauce pan on medium heat. Once cooked, remove the chorizo and deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine. Melt two tablespoons of butter on medium heat, then add and saute mushrooms. Next, add chopped green onions and cook for a couple of minutes before adding 1 can of diced tomatoes and diced chipotles. Then, add cooked rice, cooked diced venison, and cooked chorizo. Mix contents of the sauce pan well, adding 2 teaspoons of salt, then add 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Fill the hallowed bell peppers with the stuffing and top with about 1 oz. of pepper jack cheese per pepper. Roast peppers in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.