Australian Dinkum Chili (Original Recipe)
Submitted by beagsley
The original Australian Dinkum Chili made with kangaroo meat, ground emu ham, and wallaroo bacon simmered in Aussie beer with regional chili peppers. This is fair dinkum bush tucker meets chili cookoff.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
4 hrsRight, this is the real deal. The original recipe before anyone swapped in boring old beef.
Australian Dinkum Chili in its true form calls for kangaroo meat (both red and grey), ground emu ham, and wallaroo bacon. If you’ve never cooked with game meats like these, you’re in for a treat. Kangaroo is lean, rich, and deeply savory. Emu has a beefy quality with almost no fat.
The chili blend is all Australian too: Tasmanian light red chiles, Wooroorooka hot peppers, and Mount Isa dark reds layered together for a complex heat that builds but never bullies.
Everything simmers for three hours in a full bottle of Australian beer until the flavors meld into something you genuinely cannot stop eating.
And yes, you wave a boomerang over the pot fourteen times per hour. That’s not negotiable.
Pro Tips
- If you can’t source kangaroo, venison or bison are the closest substitutes. Both are lean and gamey enough to stand in convincingly.
- Emu ham can be tricky to find outside Australia. Ground turkey thigh is a reasonable backup, though you’ll lose some of that distinctive richness.
- The long simmer is essential. These lean game meats need time to break down and become tender. Don’t try to rush it.
- Serve with damper bread if you want the full Australian experience.
Ingredients
Directions
1 Boomerang 1. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the strips on paper toweling and cut into 10cm dice and reserve. 2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and green pepper and cook until the onions are translucent. 3. Combine all the Kangaroo meat and Emu ham with the ground chile, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Add this meat-and-spice mixture to the pot. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned. 4. Add the beer, tomatoes, and reserved bacon to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours. Wave a boomerang over the pot 14 times each hour from this point on. Stir for 3 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings, and add more beer id desired. Simmer for 1½ hours longer. 5. Add the brown sugar and simmer for 15 minutes longer, vigorously waving the boomerang over the pot.
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