Interesting recipe, looks delicious. I've always wanted to try venison chili. I've been perfecting my recipe for a few decades, and I think I've got it. It's close to yours, with a few notable exceptions.
First, no onions or green peppers. Yellow, Orange, or Red peppers are acceptable.
Other than the Onions, I'm cool with everything else, with some additions:
- Cocoa powder
- Flour
- Red Wine,Cold
I usually use a couple of heaping teaspoons of each powder, whisked into 4 oz of cold red wine, then added to the sauce after everything else is simmering. This little thing right here is my secret ingredient. Deepens the flavor (and color) like nothing else.
For meat, I usually use an equal mix of ground beef and ground pork.
I like my chili to be beany, so if I'm making a big batch (for freezing) I'll add 2 cans each of kidney, black, and red (or pink) beans. Even if it's a smaller batch, I'll use 4 cans.
I've also recently learned that a couple of ounces of lemon juice near the end will smooth it out.
I often add finely chopped spinach, early in the process so it has lots of time to break down. I often add frozen corn near the end.
I tend to like it thick, and I like to scoop it up with tortilla chips, along with a spoon, but if you like it soupier, just add water, or beef broth.
Soy sauce is an interesting ingredient, I've been reading that chefs are really leaning into it these days. I thought it might be Worcestershire sauce, which is also a good ingredient.
I'll also use a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of crushed tomatoes, but I LOVE your use of cherry tomatoes. Those are my favorite tomatoes. Great on pizza, too, sliced in half.
I just made a batch last week, and it's already gone.