Recipe - Smokin' Chili (or Threepeat Chili)

The chili simmering. 

At work we do fundraisers for the United Way and the Arts & Science Council (ASC) of Charlotte. One of the fundraisers we do is a chili cook off. Last year since the fundraiser happened around Mardis Gras we actually did a Cajun cook off instead of the chili cook off. I cooked a pot of gumbo for it and tied for first place. The previous year was my first year entering and I entered my leftover pulled pork chili and took home the grand prize. This year I made some Smokin' Chili and won again. Here is the recipe for the chili I made this year.

This chili is based on my leftover pulled pork chili but it uses beef brisket that has been slow smoked and all the vegetables are smoked too. This makes about 5 quarts of chili. The ingredients below are broken down into groups. Each group is added or cooked at the same time. The brisket is smoked but added to the pot last. 

Brisket ready to smoke

Ingredients

• 1 Onion
• whole head of roasted garlic
• Beef Brisket
• 2 roasted pablano pepper
• 2 roasted bell peppers (red and yellow)

• 2 TBLS Olive Oil
• 1 bottle Woodchuck Cider (your choice of flavor)

• 1/4 Cup soy sauce
• 2 TBLS Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 TBLS Apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBLS Mustard BBQ sauce
• 4 can diced tomatoes
• 2 can black beans

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsb black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Chili powder (or to taste)
• 2 TBLS rub

Meat and veggies smoking. The chicken was for a friend.

Directions

1. Smoke the brisket. I leave this up to you to figure out how to do as everyone has their own way they like to do it. I will post the way I do it at a later time. 
2. While the brisket is smoking, cut the onion in half and place both halves on the smoker. Remove the dry skin from the garlic and chop off the top. Place the whole bulb into the smoker along with all the peppers.
3. The vegetables should be ready to come off the cooker after about an hour or two. I just eyeball them and when I think they're ready I pull them off. 
4. Put the peppers into a sealable bag and place into the fridge. 
5. Chop up the onion and put into a large stock pot. Squeeze the garlic out of the husks and put into the stock pot also along with the olive oil. 
6. Saute the garlic and onion until it is aromatic. Add the bottle of cider.
7. Bring this to a boil and turn down the heat so it can simmer. 
8. While it is simmering and cooking down, clean the skin off the peppers and cut them up. Add them to the pot. Be sure to wear gloves while cleaning the peppers as the oils from them can burn your skin. DO NOT rub your eyes while doing this. It hurts. 
9. Add soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and BBQ sauce; bring it to a boil and let it reduce down.
10. Add the tomatoes and the black beans
11. Add all the dry spices and mix it up. Let it simmer while the brisket finishes cooking. 
12. When the brisket is done cube it up and add the meat to the chili. I used half a brisket including the point. Let it simmer a little longer so the beefy flavor can work through the chili. If you have an brisket juice after cooking add some of it in, to punch the flavor up. 

The brisket ready to go into the chili.

This chili isn't really spicy hot but it is flavorful. As you make it you are building the flavors up and letting them mingle together. The smoked vegetables bring a little something extra to the pot and the smoked beef just makes it so good. You can also use left over brisket for this. Hope you try it out and enjoy it as much as I did.