Smoked Chili
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Active: 20 mins
Makes: 8 servings
Smoked beer is the result of infusing a weightier style of beer, such as brown ale, porter, or stout, with smoking agents. It has ancient roots in Germany but has been recently revived by American brewers aiming to put their own twist on the old style. This recipe combines the fireside flavor with a classic chili.
What to buy: Look for smoked chicken and apple sausage at better grocery stores. We used Aidells brand.
Chili powder is available in the spice section of grocery stores or you can make your own with this recipe.
Smoked beer is available at many gourmet markets and liquor stores. We used Schlenkerla Smokebeer.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup diced smoked apple and chicken sausage (about 1 link)
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped red chile peppers, such as Fresno peppers
- 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 (32-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
- 1 (25-ounce) bottle smoked beer
- 1/2 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Sour cream, for garnish
- 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium-high heat. Once oil shimmers, add beef, pork, and sausage and cook, stirring to break up the meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is browned and no bits of pink remain, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in onion, fennel, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, fennel seed, cayenne pepper, and tomato paste, and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, crushed tomatoes and juice, smoked beer, and soaked kidney beans.
- Bring the chili to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Just before serving, stir in the salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve the chili garnished with sour cream and sliced scallions, and, of course, with a glass of smoked beer.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
More years ago than I care to remember, Leff and I served a chili at the NJ Chili Cookoff that was the first "smoked chili" that many of the tasters had sampled. Rather than smoked beer, the recipe called for smoking a pork shoulder the day before, using dark beer as the liquid in the drip pan, and after the shoulder was a wonderful memory, using the liquid left in the pan as the base for the next day's chili. IMNSHO, a more potent and pure method of putting smoke into chili.
I've made chili with Alaskan Smoked Porter. It was very good, although I like to get the smokiness from chipotle chili instead. I use beer in a lot of recipes and you've really gotta watch out for how much bitterness it might impart, especially with west coast microbrews. I might have to give it another go with this recipe though, the german style smokebeer seems like it would be pretty nice in a pot o' beans.
Just a suggestion- you will get a better texture if you take the time to dice the beef and pork rather than use ground. Slice the meats into 1/4-inch slices and then cut up into 1/4-inch cubes. What the heck- work on your knife skills! Or have your butcher give you the meat in 1/4" slices to start with, then cross-cut on your own.
We attended the 2001 International Chili Cook-Off in Terlingua, TX, (observers, not contestants) and the favored technique was cubed meat. Of course, beans are not allowed in the professional competition.
I like 'em anyway. Going to try the "smoked beer" approach to chili elsewhere on the site.
Mike
made it last night with ground turkey substituted for the ground pork and it was yummy. i might make sure the meat is a bit more crumbly, but thumbs up.