I waited for our first cool-front of the year in the Houston, TX area and seized the day by making a big-ole pot of chili to watch football with friends. Go Texans!

Not Vegetarian Friendly / Not Really Paleo (cause Beer)

Ingredients:

• 1lb of bacon diced (peppered bacon is the best)
• 1 Medium white onion diced
• ½ Medium purple onion
• 4-6 Cloves of garlic diced small
• 1 Green bell pepper diced
• 1 Red bell pepper diced
• 2lb of ground meat (any combo of beef, bison, elk, venison)
• 2 Shiner bock or beer of choice
• 2-3 Cans fire roasted tomato
• 1-2 Cans tomato sauce
• 1 Poblano Pepper
• 1–2 Jalapeños (to taste, optional)

Seasonings:

• Salt (liberal)
• Black pepper (liberal)
• Garlic powder (liberal)
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
• ¼ – ½ tsp Crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1/4 Cup chili powder

Directions:

Cut bacon in ¾” pieces, place in the pot and sprinkle with garlic powder, cook until crispy, and set aside to drain on napkins.

Use bacon grease to sauté onion and bell peppers with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, until soft and brown.

Use a small amount of beer to deglaze the pot.

Add in fresh minced garlic cloves. Allow liquid to fully evaporate off.

Grill the poblano and jalapeño peppers on high-heat for approximately 10 minutes to get a nice dark char and blistering on the skin, then place in a bowl and cover with saranwrap to steam for approximately 5 minutes.

Add in ground meat and season with salt, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.

Once the peppers are steamed, remove from bowl, open up the pepper and lay flat on a chopping board, scrape off the charred outside and skin, turn over and remove the veins and seeds. Then mince the peppers and add to the meat mixture.

Once the meat is browned, add in cumin and chili powder and mix until spices are evenly distributed.

Pour in the rest of the beer.

Add both cans of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with a little more garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.

Add in the previously cooked bacon. Stir well.

Allow for a minimum of 1.5 – 2 hours simmer time; the longer the better.

Ratios to be aware of when making multiples of this recipe:

• 1lb of bacon for every 2lbs of ground meat
• ¼ Cup of chili powder to 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 can of beer for each recipe or for every 3 hours of cook time.

The key is to build the flavors with each layer, do not be afraid to season each ingredient as it is added to the pot. Don’t get in a hurry, all good things takes time and patience.

Serve w/ options of: Corn Chips, Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, and/or Finely Diced Green Onions

Side Notes: The pictures used in this post is a double batch of the recipe. I used venison and elk meat this time. I have to say, the flavor of elk meat makes chili, spaghetti sauce, and burgers so delicious! I made the chili in a pot on Saturday and simmered it for about 90 minutes, then allowed it to cool, then transferred it to my large crock-pot and placed it in the fridge overnight. Allowing it to either simmer for a really long time or sitting overnight really sets in the flavors. Sunday morning I warmed up the crock-pot bowl in warm water before placing it in the warming part of the crock-pot (dry the bowl before placing in the warming part). Cooked it on high for 2 hours to get it nice and hot, then reduced to low for 2 hours to continue to simmer, and then down to the Warm mode.

I was told this is my best chili yet! I hope you give it a try and think so too!