Every time we go camping, my brother makes us a mean pot of chili in his dutch oven. I love the stuff, so for this year's Trunk-or-Treat/Chili Cook-off I decided to try it for myself. Turns out that his recipe is awesome enough that a first timer won first place. Part of the magic with this recipe is having different kinds of meat to give you different textures and flavors in every bite. I also played around with the ingredients a bit, adding some celery, cutting down on the peppers a bit, omitting the corn, and adding some liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce.
In a large pot:
- 1 sweet onion - chopped
- 1 stalk celery - chopped
- 1/2 package of bacon - chopped
- 2 Bell peppers
- 2 jalapeños
Roast peppers on top rack of broiler for three minutes per side
Chop and add to pot
(I cut the seeds out of the jalapeños and bell peppers. Leave them in if you want it hot.)
Add to taste:
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Garlic
- Fennel
- Liquid smoke
- Worcestershire sauce
Add and lightly fry meats with seasoned veggies
- 1 package of preferred sausage (chorizo, regular, Italian, etc.)
- 1 package of ground pork
- 1 package cubed meat (I used stew meat)
Add: - 1 large can of diced tomatoes,
- 1 small can tomato paste.
- 3 cans of chili beans,
- 2 cans of kidney beans,
- 1 can of whole kernel corn - drained (I opted not to add this)
Mix well and simmer, low and slow, stirring occasionally until everything is cooked through and the consistency matches your expectations.
It's pretty awesome eaten plain, but I love it loaded with cheese, sour cream or ranch, and chips or corn bread. It's perfect for camping trips or chilly evenings!
