Southwest Elk Stew Recipe

Place garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak 8 hours to overnight.

Strain and wash beans and place in a slow cooker. Add elk roast olive oil and bay leaves. Fill with enough water to cover garbanzo beans.

Cook on High until elk meat falls off the bone when poked with a fork about 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 135 degrees F (57 degrees C).

While roast is cooking bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add chile pods and boil until tender about 20 minutes. Remove chile pods with a slotted spoon leaving most of the water in the pot transfer to a blender and process to a thin consistency.

Remove elk roast and shred meat. Add meat back to the slow cooker. Scoop blended chiles into a fine mesh strainer and press with a spoon to add sauce to the slow cooker; discard any solids in the strainer. Add 6 cups boiling water salt garlic and smoked paprika reduce heat to Low and cook for 3 hours. Serve stew with cabbage avocados lime wedges and crushed red pepper.