1Start by dicing one red onion, one bell pepper, half a jalapeño, and half a chili pepper.
2Mince the jalapeño and chili pepper if you don't like biting into big pieces.
3Mince some garlic.
4Dice eight slabs of bacon.
5Season the meat with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and a pinch of chipotle smoked sea salt. If new to seasoning, start with a teaspoon of each and adjust to taste.
6Take a pound of ground chuck and break it up a little.
7Add about half of the prepared seasoning to the ground chuck.
8In a pot on medium heat, add all the bacon and render down the fat.
9Remove the cooked bacon from the pot, leaving the rendered grease.
10Add the seasoned ground beef to the pot with the bacon grease and cook until done, about seven minutes.
11Remove the cooked ground beef from the pot and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel.
12In the same pot, add the remaining half of the seasoning to bloom it.
13Add all the minced and chopped vegetables to the pot and cook until soft and colorful.
14Stir in a few scoops of tomato paste.
15Add fire roasted diced or crushed tomatoes.
16Deglaze the pot with Guinness beer.
17Add one can of pinto beans and one can of kidney beans.
18Return the cooked bacon and ground meat to the pot.
19Add the rest of the seasonings.
20Pour in one cup of beef stock.
21Stir in a spoonful of cocoa powder.
22Let the chili simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
23Serve the chili and top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and green onions.
Ingredients
1 red onion
1 bell pepper
0.5 jalapeño
0.5 chili pepper
garlic
8 slabs bacon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
cayenne pepper
smoked paprika
pinch Chipotle smoked sea salt
1 pound ground chuck
scoops tomato paste
fire roasted diced tomatoes or crushed
Guinness beer
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 cup beef stock
1 spoonful cocoa powder
cheese
sour cream
cilantro
green onions
Equipment
potplate
Tips
Do not go too heavy on the cumin because it is salty.
Blooming the seasoning in hot oil/fat makes it more flavorful.
Adding beer, specifically a stout like Guinness, makes the flavors deeper and richer.
A spoonful of cocoa powder pairs well with peppers and you won't taste the chocolate.