Originally published at: I made over-the-top smoked chili | Boing Boing
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speaking of things made low and slow, i’m working my way through a new rye bread book i got for xmas, and the next one i’m going to try bakes at a low temp for just over 24 hours, and then you have to let it cool for an additional 48 hours before slicing. i’m excited.
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as an 8th generation texas native i salute you!
i always incorporate dark chocolate cocoa powder into my chili. i have sometimes used smoked paprika in place of plain paprika in my chili but had not considered smoking the meat or chili itself. i’ll probably give that a try in the near future.
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I can be there in 20 hours if I drive straight through and don’t hit any traffic lights. 
(Don’t worry, very much joking. I’ll try this at home though. Sounds and looks delish.)
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Competition chili doesn’t allow beans or pieces of anything large enough to be positively identifiable. I have made chili both with and without and prefer my chili without beans.
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It ain’t chili con carne if the cocoa powder it’s in the mix…
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Any thoughts here on the best type of chocolate to use? Mexican? Bakers? Sweetened? Unsweetened?
Signed hungry on the East Coast.
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I have it on good advice that the best is what’s in the larder.
BTW: If you want chili with beans, soak the beans over night in half H2o & Cola, you will be awesomenissisned by the effect.
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Pro tip: the 79 cent Taco Mix packets at Trader Joe’s are quite versatile and the same spices in a typical chili. I’ve been doing instant pot chili with the for a few months now. Today I used it to diversify a yellow chicken curry, was basically out of curry powder and the improvisation with added turmeric and cumin worked out pretty well.
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i use hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa in my chili. i have for years.
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And the opinions of a food purist have never been worth a hill of the beans we’re apparently also not allowed to put in it.
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Hey now! I understand cutting carbs and going keto etc., but beans are valuable carbs. Their fiber-packed goodness lowers LDL cholesterol and keeps you regular! Of course, always do what’s good for you personally, but I can’t stand by and let beans be disparaged. They’re the musical fruit!
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You should reconsider the beans. They are a good source of fiber and if you pair them with corn in the chili, you get a complete protein. This is a good addition for people on a budget that may need the protein. Seems I cant include a link to show the corn and beans complete protein from a third party, so I guess you can google that for yourselves.
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Jason,
Do you know anyone whose elderly grandmother or aunt makes mole?
The best mole I ever had was backpacking in the sierras, and a very old lady offered to make us turkey mole if we worked her garden for her for the day. It was amazing.
I’m convinced that there’s some “old lady” magic that must be involved in the making of mole. I’ve tried making it (not successful by any means), tried the stuff from the store (definitely not good), and had horrendous restaurant mole… until I found a restaurant near me that actually has really good mole… and it’s the owner’s elderly mother in the back making it.
Pretty sure you have to apprentice yourself to learn someone’s generations old family recipe for it to really be good.
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Two parts onion power, one part chili powder, one part cumin and cayenne to taste. You can vary the ratio if you like one of the flavors more than the others.
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No beans is the correct way to make chili… I think I figured out what to make with a slice of top round i have in the freezer… I have some dried anchoes and guajillo… hhhmmm now to check on the burbon or tequila…
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I don’t really understand the bean hate. I like chili with or without, but when I make it I put them in. They seem to enhance that second-day chili effect too.
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I recommend grinding your own beef or having a butcher doing a #2 grind. It’s coarser than regular ground beef so your chili isn’t too mushy. I keep an old style grinder with the multiple size perforated plates for just this purpose.
I can also recommend a many times reprinted and now expanded book titled Chili Madness by Jane Butel.
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Mine did too, but would usually just add a can of Wolf Brand Chili to a pound or two of hamburger meat if she was in a hurry. I still do that myself if I don’t feel like going thru the trouble…
Sounds interesting. I’ve made it different ways:
Spices & onions with Shiner Bock for the cooking liquid; spices & Pace picante for the liquid; dried, reconstituted & ground chilies, etc.
This smoked chili looks like a must-try.
Yeah, if you cook beans in there, it ain’t chili… it’s bean soup with meat.
It messes up a good pot o’ beans and a good pot o’ chili at the same time. Now, I will add them together after cooking, but that’s when I really don’t have much of either.
ETA
Seconded!
Mainly because coarsely ground chili meat can be hard to find; but I do like to put different grinds in there: hamburger meat, chili meat, chopped stew meat…
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