Chili for a Chilly Season

Editor’s note: What’s better than chili to warm you up in weather like this? If you like good chili, you will love Kelli’s Smoked Chili recipe. Some great recipes, like this one, bear repeating. 

 Did you know that in 1991, Congress considered a joint resolution to designate chili as the official food of the United States? Sponsor James Inhofe from Oklahoma detailed that chili “is a succulent, distinctive blending of meats and spices that has economically nourished countless millions of Americans since its inception in the 19th century” and that chili “embraces the highly individualistic traits of America’s heritage through its infinite varieties, highly personalized blending of ingredients, and many adaptive uses.” Considering chili provides ample opportunity for discussion and debate, the congressional designation seems apropos, though ill-fated. 

The State of Texas claims chili as its own. In 1977, the Texas legislature made chili the official state dish and avowed that only Texans produce the “best and only authentic concoction of this piquant delicacy.” Chili Con Carne (Texas Red), originating in San Antonio, is made of stewed chunks of beef in a spicy sauce made from red chiles and seasoned with cumin–it never contains a filler like beans, and there is debate around whether or not tomatoes are allowable.

Illinois’s chilli (spelled with two l’s) prefers their ground beef seasoned with Hunt’s canned tomato sauce, spices, and Tabasco. In contrast, Ohio ground beef chili is served over spaghetti and topped with cheese. Meanwhile, the fine folks of Oklahoma embrace all types of chilies: beans, no beans, ground beef, chunks of beef, chicken, coney sauce.

Oklahoma has never met a chili it didn’t like.
This year, I refuse to engage in the chili-ingredient debate. While we all know that I prefer beans, that will not get in the way of embracing all of the chili. I dove into chili season with an unusual recipe slow-cooked on the smoker. This chili is taken to the next level by adding dark chocolate chips at the end. Neil and I ate this chili over a handful of Fritos topped with cheese and cilantro. Deeee-licious!

Smoked Chili

INGREDIENTS:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion - diced
2 bell peppers (mixed colors) - seeded, stemmed, diced
6 cloves garlic - minced
2 T chili powder (I used a mix of different chili powders, including Kashmiri and silk chilis)
1 t smoked paprika
1 t hot paprika
1 T cumin
2 T tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15.5 oz) can red beans (or ½ # dried beans cooked through)
1 lb ground beef
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T kosher salt
1 T black pepper
1 T Montreal Steak Seasoning
⅓ c dark chocolate chips (I used 72% cocoa)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic and sauté until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in dried spices and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring regularly, until slightly darkened. Add tomatoes and beans, stir to combine, and remove from heat.

Mix beef, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, black pepper, and Montreal steak seasoning in a large mixing bowl until just mixed. Form the meat into a loose loaf.
Prepare your smoker and set the temperature at 275°. Place the uncovered Dutch oven with the chili base on the grate, top with a cooling rack or grill grate, and place the ground beef loaf over the Dutch oven. Smoke until the beef loaf is 150° (about 2 hours). Crumble the loaf into the Dutch oven and stir into the chili base; continue smoking for 2 hours.

Remove from smoker and stir in dark chocolate chips until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy in whatever way you prefer your chili. At my house, this means over a base of Fritos and topped with cheese, sour cream, red onion, and cilantro.

Originally published during a very cold January 2023.