Chili Lover? Our take is not so much your traditional chili recipe but it is packed full of flavor and there is nothing better than the smell of a pot of chili cooking on a cold winters night. Fall also brings Chili cook offs where you can find amazing varieties of the American favorite. From white chicken chili to the traditional beef and bean, there is always something to please everyone.
This year we are excited to use our own peppers in our recipe. We grew many different varieties on our farmette to include sweet, hot and wicked hot peppers which makes it all the more fun. If you have never tasted a pepper fresh from the farm you are missing out. I cannot explain it but everything from our tomatoes to limes to peppers just taste so much better than those we buy in the grocery store. Don’t grow your own? Find a local farmers market that sells peppers. Trust me, you are in for a treat!
There is a also great debate as to which ingredients actually belong in “real” chili. I am originally from Texas and as a Texan I can tell you they are firm in their belief that only chili peppers, meat, and spices belong in a real chili recipe. But I prefer to add more textures and flavor to include beans, brown sugar and of course our Tomahawk and Traditional blends along with a hefty tablespoon of Bacon Pepper. If you are interested there is a really good article from Southern Living that talks about all this chili chaos. The bottom line is, everyone thinks they know what ingredients should be in a chili recipe and everyone knows that everyone else is wrong.
Which side are you on? If you have a favorite chili recipe we would love to hear from you! Send us an email.
Chili but Warming Up!
Ingredients
- 4 slices uncooked bacon chopped
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 red pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 lb ground beef (455g) (I use 90% lean but any will work
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Tomahawk seasoning Increase traditional and decrease Tomahawk to reduce heat
- 1 tbsp Traditional seasoning Decrease traditional and Increase Tomahawk to add heat
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp bacon pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup beef broth
- 15 oz can of dark red kidney beans lightly rinsed and drained
- 15 oz can of pinto beans lightly rinsed and drained
- 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained
- 7 oz can of fire roasted green chilies
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place chopped (uncooked) bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp and cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 ½ Tablespoons of grease.
- Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add beef, breaking apart with a spatula as you cook. Once meat is partially (about 50%) browned, add sugar and all spices and stir well.
- Add all remaining ingredients — beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce and cooked bacon and stir well.
- Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow flavor to really develop.
- Serve with preferred toppings (sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, corn chips.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.