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Chilindron is a Spanish stew, and is one of my favorite dishes, so versatile that it stands outside the normal categories of venison, upland birds, etc.
Chilindron (chill-in-DRONE) is dominated by roasted red peppers, paprika and onions. Most recipes also call for rosemary, olive oil, garlic, some tomatoes, good stock and wine.
The stew originates in Aragon, a part of central Spain. I first heard about this stew in the late, great Penelope Casas’ Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain, but I’ve since read about a dozen other recipes for this classic in other Spanish cookbooks.
It is rich, woodsy, and bright, a perfect combination of the “red food” many of us crave (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc – think about the colors in your favorite foods and you’ll find many of them are reddish) with the slightly austere, piney flavors that mark European wild game cooking.
I make this stew every few weeks I love it so much; it is one of the few “standards” I will repeat on a regular basis.
As for what meat to use, the Spanish stew typically features lamb or chicken. This hints at the range this stew possesses. I have made chilindron with good results from chicken, pheasant, rabbit, beef, venison and antelope, wild boar and pork. There is no reason you cannot toss in whatever you like.
I suppose you could even make a vegetarian version with mushrooms. When switching from light to dark meat, switch from white to red wine, too. Other than that, I use this basic recipe.
I also have a recipe for a similar Spanish stew – caldereta – that’s thicker and cooks longer, making it well suited for meats with a lot of connective tissue, such as a venison neck roast.
Chilindron, a Spanish Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken, pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces
- 2 large onions, sliced root to tip
- 10 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon hot paprika
- 1 jar (15 ounces or so), or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, chopped
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups red or white wine
- Stock if needed (whatever goes with your choice of meat)
- 1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, pancetta, ham, etc.
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Large handful of dried mushrooms (optional)
Instructions
- If using, put the mushrooms in a container just large enough to hold them and pour hot water over them. Cover and set aside.
- Salt the meat and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Use this time to chop the veggies.
- Pat the meat dry and pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Set the meat aside in a bowl when browned. Take your time and do this right. Add more oil if needed.
- When the meat is browned, add the onions and stir to bring up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the onions with a little salt. Cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic, the cured meat and the mushrooms, if using. Cook until fragrant, then add the meat back to the pot and mix well.
- Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to high. Stir and boil furiously until the wine is half gone. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes, the roasted red peppers and all the spices and herbs (except the parsley). Stir well. The level of liquid should be about 2/3 the way up the sides of the meat. If it is low, add the stock. I typically need about 2 cups.
- Cover and cook at a bare simmer — just barely bubbling — until done. How long is that? Depends on the meat. Rarely is any meat done within an hour, but I’d check a store-bought chicken then. I find pheasants and rabbits take about 90 minutes, boar, pork and hares about 2 hours, and venison and beef up to 3 hours or more. Use your judgment.
- Right before serving, test for salt and add some if needed. Add black pepper and the parsley and stir well. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta or bread. Simple sauteed greens are a good accompaniment. A big red wine is also a must, ideally something Spanish, like a Rioja.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for my wife with venison and a little left over beef. Concentrating the wine is an awesome step and really makes this dish. Served with my first attempt at polenta which I found a recipe for with fresh herbs and cheese…. instead of serving it hot however, I put my own spin on it by letting it cool and firm up then slicing and frying like we used to do with mush when I was a kid. I may not have any venison left for summer sausage making this spring!
I used fresh mushrooms instead of dried due to excessive cost of dried that would equal the same weight rehydrated as fresh.
Made this last night for friends, with lamb, and it was wonderful!!!
Do you leave the meat on the bone for game birds and rabbits?
Peter: Yes, and you then debone when it’s all tender.
Made this a couple of times now. Quite delicious and easy to make!
However, can you clarify the onion size and quantity? I assume you mean “2 large onions”, but the “in” is confusing me.
Thanks!
This is a favorite. I bake in oven instead of simmering on stove. Have tried with several different meats. Pork loin is our favorite as the meat is so tender, though chicken thighs were tasty , too. Sometimes use a mix of pork n thighs. For guests I make the day before then reheat in crockpot about 3 hours before the party. The house smells amazing but the mess is Long cleaned up. Great w cornbread n a platter of fruit.
This has become a “go-to” recipe for me. It’s easy, you can make ahead and it tastes awesome. I’ve made it nearly a dozen times. I usually use elk or venison and fresh mushrooms (tonight: chanterelles).
This is excellent with lamb shanks and oxtails. I prefer to braise in oven at 325 for as long as it takes for the meat to fall off the bone.
I just made this with lamb neck. It is delicious. I don’t make many stews in the summer, but this will be an exception!
This has become a “go to” recipe whenever I have to entertain. It is fairly easy, has a wonderful flavour and can be prepared a day ahead. In fact, it’s better the second day. I use deer or elk. I don’t cook for as long as the recipe suggests. I find the game cooks pretty quickly.
I make this stew a couple of times every winter. I haven’t met one of Hank’s recipes that I don’t like, but this is by far my favorite.
I should have left a comment a long time ago–but I’m just getting around to it. I’ve made this recipe with beef, chicken and venison and it is fantastic. It is now our Christmas Eve meal too as it is that good. Even my picky kidlets love it. Thanks Hank!
I make this with venison. I use home-made venison bone broth for the stock. My daughter asks for it whenever she comes to visit!
Great way to use up various meats in the freezer!
Hank –
I have some skin-on Canada goose breasts; would those work in this?
If not, do you have any quick advice on cooking very thick (about 2″) goose breast? We have followed your technique for duck/goose breast but never seem to get it quite right. Is it worth trying to slice them in half horizontally (although then one piece would not have a skin side…)?
Thank you!
Stephanie: Not really, as this stew will work best with leg meat of a goose. My advice on cooking the Canada breasts is to treat it like a roast. Bring to room temp, sear, finish in a 400-degree oven. You want an internal temp of about 130-135 degrees. Rest, slice thin.
This looks amazing Hank! I’ve picked up everything to make it tonight. I’m considering finishing it in the crockpot, however. What do you think the best time to transfer it over is? I’ll be using a few hunks of venison loin. I’m considering shifting over after boiling the wine down. Then 6-8 hours on low. Thoughts?
Patrick. I’d think closer to 6 hours than 8.
Also I forgot to ask – Should I leave much fat on the lamb when trimming?
Hank,
What broth would you recommend for lamb? I am going to make this tomorrow night but can’t make lamb broth in time.
Kevin: Maybe start with chicken. Beef might be too dark. And trim most but not all of the fat.
When browning the meat, in my case venison, how large are these pieces? Are you cutting the meat into bite-sized chunks before you brown or are you browning large pieces?
Amos: You can do either. If you brown bite sized pieces, you’re good to go when it comes time to serve. If you use big pieces, you will want to shred the meat before serving.
Would duck be good in this
Cody: Yes, duck and goose legs are great in it.