World's Best Chili
A flavorful chili made with bacon, pork, and beef. I find a HUGE difference when I make my own chili powder (I've posted that recipe too).
A flavorful chili made with bacon, pork, and beef. I find a HUGE difference when I make my own chili powder (I've posted that recipe too).
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 pound ground pork
- sour cream for garnish
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- lime wedges for garnish
- 6 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon cut into 1/1-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 cup beer (recommended: budweiser)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 24-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 24-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- shredded cheese for garnish
- sliced scallions for garnish
- Carbohydrate 163.754960023692 g
- Cholesterol 616.8856232 mg
- Fat 145.055091008152 g
- Fiber 55.3130993671382 g
- Protein 217.213573172721 g
- Saturated Fat 54.8484278494805 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1912g)
- Sodium 3156.04792866509 mg
- Sugar 108.441860656554 g
- Trans Fat 21.5203043690074 g
- Calories 2818 calories
Step-by-step
- In large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Once the bacon is browned, add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, Chipotle chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cook until the vegetables are tender and seasonings are aromatic.
- Add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon.
- Once beef is broken up and beginning to brown, add the pork.
- Break up with a wooden spoon like the beef and brown until no longer pink, roughly 4 minutes.
- Stir in the beer and beans.
- Toss together, then add the crushed and diced tomatoes.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Transfer the chili to serving bowls and garnish with lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced scallions.
Thick-cut applewood smoked bacon does the heaviest lifting in this pot, rendering flavorful fat that builds a foundation for every subsequent ingredient. When rendering pork fat over medium heat, maintain a gentle sizzle to prevent the bits from burning before the vegetables hit the pan.
- Cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven until lightly crisp, ensuring the fond develops evenly across the base of the pot.
- Add ground pork and beef only after the aromatics and spices have bloomed in the rendered fat for maximum flavor absorption.
- Simmer the mixture on low heat for 1 and 1/2 hours to let the crushed and diced tomatoes break down fully.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, as starches and proteins bind together overnight to deepen the overall profile.
