Wild Boar & Black Bean Chili with Cornbread Waffles
By Andrew Zimmern
This is game-day food with real backbone: tender wild boar, black beans, poblanos, chipotles, dark beer and a rich chile gravy that soaks beautifully into savory cornbread waffles. The waffles are not just a garnish here. They turn the whole bowl into something heartier, more fun and much more memorable than a standard pot of chili.
Wild Boar Chili with Cornbread Waffles
Ingredients
For the Chili
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 slices natural smoked bacon, chopped
2 pounds trimmed wild boar leg or shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and diced
1/3 cup ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 chipotle chiles in adobo, roughly minced
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
4 to 5 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
3 cups nut brown ale or other good dark beer
3 tablespoons masa harina or fine corn flour
3 tablespoons water
For the Cornbread Waffles
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
One 14-ounce can creamed corn
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
Vegetable oil or cooking spray, for the waffle iron
For Serving
Grated sharp cheddar
Finely chopped white onion
Fresh cilantro
Mexican crema or sour cream
Avocado slices
Lime wedges
Instructions
Build a medium fire for cooking with a large Dutch oven or heavy pot set over the coals.
Season the wild boar generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pot until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to render its fat and lightly brown. Add the wild boar in an even layer and cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side. You do not need to brown every side of every piece; one good sear will build plenty of flavor.
Add the onion, garlic and poblanos to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the chile powder, cumin, oregano and a good pinch of salt. Stir for about 1 minute, just until the spices are fragrant. Watch the heat carefully so the ground spices do not burn.
Add the chipotles, tomatoes, black beans, 4 cups of the chicken stock and the beer. Stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the coals to maintain a steady, gentle bubble.
Cover and cook until the beans are tender and the boar is soft, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more chicken stock as needed. The chili should be brothy enough to have a rich gravy, but not watery.
In a small bowl, whisk the masa harina with the water to make a smooth slurry. Let it hydrate for a minute, then whisk it into the chili. Simmer for a few minutes, until the liquid thickens slightly. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.
While the chili rests, make the waffles. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and black pepper. In a separate bowl, stir together the brown sugar and eggs until the eggs are broken up. Add the creamed corn, melted butter, buttermilk and milk, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the jalapeño and scallions.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes so the cornmeal hydrates.
Heat a well-greased waffle iron over the fire, flipping it a few times to preheat evenly. Fill the bottom half with batter, close the iron and cook, flipping occasionally, until the waffles are deeply golden and crisp. Depending on the heat of your fire, this may take 4 to 7 minutes total. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Ladle the chili into bowls. Add a cornbread waffle on top or alongside, then finish with cheddar, onion, cilantro, crema, avocado and lime.
Tip: The waffles are great the next day. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat them until crisp, or use them for breakfast sandwiches.
