Chili, Smoky, savory, hot peppery...or not...your call
A smoky, peppery, savory version of a classic.
I told you about our butcher who smokes his own meats in my recipe for Smoked Balsamic & Rosemary Pork Chops, well, here comes another recipe that uses both his smoked andouille sausage and his ground beef/pork blend. Of course, any recipe can be made with meat that is not smoked and will be just fine, but if you like the added depth of flavor that smoking brings, these recipes are for you.
Now chili is one of my favorite things to make, for oh-so-many-reasons. Let me count the ways….Chili … (1) can be made a thousand different ways and still be great, seriously, at least, a thousand; (2) is a fantastic it’s-time-to-clean-out-the-refrigerator-and-pantry dish; (3) it freezes for a convenient ready-made meal; (4) it’s relatively healthy; and (5) it can be served with almost any starch: potatoes, rice, pasta, polenta, fries, tortilla chips, crackers, bread, whatever you have!
With reason #’s 2 and 3 above in mind, here is my ingredient list for this smoked chili. Watch for cook notes and remember above all else, this chili recipe is more about technique than it is the individual ingredients. The “how it’s done” does matter. So I will try to explain the whys and I’ll make ingredient suggestions/substitutions along the way.
OH – and beans really are optional, but I happen to like them. I used black beans in this recipe but feel free to mix it up with Kidney beans, cannelloni beans, garbanzo beans, whatever you like is perfect.
Ingredients
(optional ingredients in italics)2 lbs. ground beef/pork mix
1 lb. smoked andouille sausage, casing removed, chopped
29 oz. can of tomato puree
14.5 oz. can of petite cut diced tomatoes
1 large cooking onion
1 green bell pepper
1/3 c. Balsamic Vinegar
8 garlic cloves, chopped
3-5 dried chiles of your choice, depending on how hot you like your chili. I used 3 Thai red and 2 ancho chiles. ***See preparation instructions below.
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. cumin (more or less to taste)
2 Tbsp. Better Than Boullion (or your favorite brand) Beef Base (I suggest this brand to keep the dish gluten free)
2-4 Tbsp. Agave Syrup (to taste)
1/2 c. frozen corn (or fresh, if it’s in season)
1 lime
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, or whatever kind of bean you like/have in your pantry. Of course, some folks don’t like beans in their chili so this is optional. I think they add nice body and are a great protein source, so mine has lots of beans. And I like them. Oh, I might have mentioned that already.
Toppings, Mix/Match & Optional, but highly Suggested!
Sour Cream
Cilantro, chopped
Fresh jalapeno
Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
Scallions, chopped
If you have a Dutch oven, I suggest using it. I use my 6-quart for this recipe and if I had a bigger one, I must might us that instead.Directions
Wow got hungry just by reading the recipe, I can imagine this is such a delicious dish!!
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You are too kind. If you make it, let me know your thoughts, including ideas for improvement! Thank you.
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