BRISKET CHILI WITH PINTO BEANS

So I've been sitting on this post for like two-and-a-half weeks but it continued to get waylaid, what with the whole election and my ensuing Obama excitement/Prop 8 depression plus the fact that I was finishing up my latest project (be sure to tune into The Millionaire Matchmaker this January on Bravo!) AND trying to get things painted before the holiday, I've been hellabusy.  I am sorry.

Anyway, Chili.  Now that it's been so long since I made it, I can't remember any amusing little story as to why I did it.  I think the weather had gotten cool and I wanted to make something cozy.  Of course it's back up into the 80's now and I'm sitting here with all the windows open and a hot bowl of chili doesn't seem that appropriate.  But it'll cool down quickly enough again and I'll want to get out my Dutch oven.

INGREDIENTS

(forhe chili)

8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4 inch wide pieces

1 pound beef brisket, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their liquid

1 12-ounce bottle of beer

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

3 14-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

(to garnish)

Grated Cheddar cheese

Scallions onions, thinly sliced on an angle

Tabasco sauce

METHOD

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring often until browned about 10 to 12 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and return to medium-high heat.  Add the brisket cubes, season with salt and pepper and cook until all sides are brown, about 5 minutes total.  Add the onions, garlic, and a bit more salt and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.  

Stir in the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar and cook, stirring often until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and, using your hand, shred them into small pieces.  Be careful, they can unexpectedly squirt on you.  Add the tomatoes, beer, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, Tabasco, 1 cup of water to the pot and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, stirring to combine. 

Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 3 hours, until the brisket is fall apart tender and the chili is thick.

Add the pinto beans, half the reserved bacon and stir to combine.  Continue to cook for another 30 minutes.  

To serve, ladle chili into deep bowls and sprinkle with grated cheese, sliced scallions, some of the reserved bacon, and lots of Tabasco.

The brisket really makes this chili.  I've never made a chili using a meat that wasn't ground, and having tender, fall apart chunks of beef takes what would otherwise be an ordinary chili to the next level.  Cooking it low and slow really give the flavors time to mix and mingle and the results have a fantastic depth.  Now keep in mind, the flavor profile on this chili veers toward the sweet side.  The first night I served it I garnished with some nice aged white cheddar, but then the second night, I crumbled some smoked blue cheese over the top.  I particularly like that contrast between the sweet and the smoked.  Works really well.  Especially with the crumbled bacon.

In the book, they guys note that the leftovers are great used in a chili dog and as tempting as that does sound, I was more than happy to eat the leftovers reheated and ladled into bowls.  Maybe next time.  Actually, now that I think about it, it might be fun to have a little chili dog party.  Complete with home-make sauerkraut and a melange of hot sauces and mustards and lots of cold beer.  Hmmmm...

Serves 8 to 10

Comments

[riya]

interesting recipe...

[Jessica]

I totally want to come to your chili dog party.

[We Are Never Full]

love the idea of adding the brisket to give the chili some texture. mmmmm.

[[eatingclub] vancouver]

Love the idea of doing brisket in chili. That looks like perfect food for the kind of weather we're having now. Great stuff!

[Bob LaGatta]

I don’t know on how I stumbled upon this cooking blog., All I know is that I’d better check out the archives for a good read. Ha-ha! Just droppin’ to say hi!
Oh. You might want to check this out: http://www.technocooks.com for uhm…a different “menu.”

[Peter Kafka]

Curious - what's the point of using onion/garlic and onion powder/garlic powder?

[Rob Perry]

I made this chili recipe Saturday afternoon. Turned out really well, even with a few last minute tweaks by me. I substituted Tennessee Pride sausage for half the ground beef, cooking it with the bacon so that it got a bit crispy. With regard to beer as an ingredient, I used half Miller High Life and half Guinness; I think the Guinness added just a hint of chocolatey flavor to the chili. A perfect meal for the near sub-zero temps we've been having in Chicago.

[emiglia]

AWESOME recipe. I had a great chili recipe, but this one blew it out of the water. I was a little skeptical about the ketchup, but it's magical.

My only qualm? The person ahead of me in line at the grocery store stole my bacon, so I had to do without. Next time I'll definitely use it though!

[Roger Park]

I love your blog. Thanks so much for the amazing recipes and fantastic commentary. I served this chili the other night, and it was a huge hit. However, I did have to rescue the brisket about midway through. About an hour into cooking it, I realized it was becoming quite tough. I tore it into smaller chunks and while it was very chewy, it still tasted good. (Nobody noticed but me.) I'm not sure what I did wrong, though. I assumed cooking brisket would be easy. Maybe I browned it too long? I'd like to try again and see if that was the problem, since obviously this recipe is a keeper.