Combined elements of three other chili recipes into one I liked.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2-3 pounds ground beef
- 6-10 strips thick cut bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 carrots chopped
- 4 cups sweet potato peeled and chopped (about 2-3 medium potatoes)
- 1 small rutabaga peeled and chopped
- 1 large or 2 small onions chopped
- 1 poblano pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (i used garlic flavored)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (i love garlic and actually used more)
- Carbohydrate 156.864666752475 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.5624696660085 g
- Fiber 28.8848322470338 g
- Protein 25.3222496375365 g
- Saturated Fat 0.814250380185186 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1418g)
- Sodium 1441.99206567199 mg
- Sugar 127.979834505441 g
- Trans Fat 0.764276913815857 g
- Calories 732 calories
Step-by-step
- Peel the carrots, rutabaga, and sweet potatoes. Chop all veggies to about the same size.
- Combine all the dry spices.
- In a large pot, cook the bacon. Remove the bacon and set aside, but keep some of the fat in the pot. Add the onions, peppers, carrots and celery and cook for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat until they start to soften. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the ground beef and garlic to the pot and cook until browned. Drain most of the fat. (This could be done in a separate pan while the veggies are cooking, but I don't like doing dishes)
- Add the bacon, beef and veggies back into the pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook covered over medium low heat for about 2 hours or until the sweet potato and rutabaga are soft, stirring occasionally.
Traditional bean-based chili relies on legumes for bulk and starch, but this paleo iteration builds density using sweet potatoes and rutabaga instead. Texas-style chili historically omits beans and tomatoes entirely, focusing purely on beef and chiles, whereas this recipe bridges the gap by incorporating canned tomatoes and root vegetables while maintaining a grain-free profile.
- Chop the sweet potatoes and rutabaga to uniform one-inch cubes so they soften at the same rate during the two-hour simmer.
- Render thick-cut bacon over medium heat to yield adequate fat, then leave a portion of that rendered fat in the pot to sweat the onions, celery, carrots, and peppers for six to eight minutes.
- Drain excess fat after browning two to three pounds of ground beef to prevent the final sauce from becoming greasy.
- Combine ground cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne, and chipotle chili powder as a dry spice blend before adding them to the pot to ensure even distribution across the meat and vegetables.
Sequencing the cooking steps in a single large pot minimizes dishwashing while allowing the rendered bacon fat to build flavor for the aromatics. Simmering the mixture covered over medium-low heat traps steam, ensuring the dense root vegetables fully tenderize in the beef stock and tomato liquids.
