Alaskana recipe: Sort of Sarah Palin’s moose chili

I know, know. You all are way, so, crazy, tired-isn't-even-the word of the Palin drama, but stay with me for a sec. It's the end of moose season, the wind's howling as I write this, and we're all settling into our winter routines. Doesn't chili sound kind of good? This isn't any chili, it's chili with a story, a little culinary snapshot of a moment in time in Alaska's history. And, with a couple tweaks, it's pretty good.

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As far as I can tell, Sarah Palin's chili recipe was served to the nation about 2013. It was published in her Christmas book, recirculated by Fox News and showed up on at least one reality TV show. But the Palin Crock-Pot started feeding local reporters way before 2013, at least as early as when she was running for vice president in 2008. A number of my Alaska journalism colleagues have crumbed chips into steamy bowls in her kitchen.

"I remember wondering if it was appropriate to eat the chili and thinking it would be rude not to try it," Kyle Hopkins, who covered politics at the Anchorage Daily News back then, said.

Sure, the chili became a political device, a public-relations dish with a folksy message about the candidate and the place she comes from. But maybe for a moment, way back when she was still willing to talk to Alaska reporters in her Wasilla kitchen, it had something to say about our Alaska and how we cook that's actually true?

I just spent a week with the recipe and I'm going to tell you something: As an idea, it's not half bad. With a tricking out, it's great, and beyond that, it's SUPER practical and uses pantry and freezer stores. And that is truly Alaskan. Go ahead, Twitter, @ me.

Here's the thing: A can of kidney beans is 98 cents at Walmart right now. You can make her chili, which serves eight to 10 people, for less than $10 if you've already got moose. And those beans, they just hang in your pantry until you're in a pinch and need to feed a crowd. It also requires maybe 10 minutes of prep and can sit on the counter half a day. What working mother in America can't get behind something like that on, say, a Wednesday night before basketball practice?

Her recipe had five ingredients: Eight cans kidney beans, a pound of browned moose, two cans of tomato sauce and two packages of taco seasoning, one regular and one hot. My recipe stays with the easy, super Alaska shelf-stable food/chest freezer bounty vibe, but uses homemade taco seasoning and adds a can of beer. I used a can of Alaska-brewed porter, but a Bud Light works too.

Sort of Sarah Palin's moose chili 

Makes 10 servings

1 large white onion
2 pounds ground meat (moose, caribou, beef, bison, musk ox or a combination)
2 cans tomato sauce
4 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can RoTel
A can of dark beer
Two packets of low-sodium taco seasoning or make your own (see recipe below)
To serve: cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, hot taco sauce

Brown meat and put in a slow cooker. Pour most of the fat out of the pan. Finely chop the onion. Saute in the fat until soft. (If you are using all wild game, you may need a little splash of olive oil.) Add to slow cooker. Add beans, RoTel, tomato sauce, taco seasoning and beer. Cook on high for two hours, or low for four.

Make-your-own taco seasoning
(enough for two pounds meat)

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cornstarch (optional)