Venison mince is leaner than beef, so doesn’t require the lengthy simmering to tenderise. It’s also becoming increasingly available in supermarkets and is a great alternative to beef (which, unsurprisingly, is one of the livestock we over-farm).
prepared butternut squash, cut into rough 2cm chunks
1
red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
11/2tsp.
chipotle paste, to taste
2
garlic cloves, crushed
1tsp.
ground cinnamon
1tsp.
ground cumin
300g
venison mince, see intro
400g
tin chopped tomatoes
2Tbsp.
tomato purée
300ml
vegetable stock
400g
tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15g
dark chocolate, optional, grated
Directions
Step 1Heat the oil in a large pan (that has a lid) over medium heat and cook the onion, squash and pepper for 10min, stirring frequently, until starting to soften. Stir in the chipotle paste, garlic, spices and plenty of seasoning and cook for 1min, until fragrant.
Step 2Add the venison mince and cook for 10min, stirring to brown all over and break up any chunks. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift up all the sticky goodness. Increase heat and bring to the boil, then decrease heat, cover and simmer for 30min.
Step 3Uncover and simmer for 5min to reduce, if needed, then stir in the kidney beans and chocolate, if using. Check seasoning and serve with wild rice or in roast jacket sweet potatoes, if you like.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
