Smoked Over the Top Chili

Описание: As the chill of autumn settles in and the nights grow longer, there’s nothing quite like cozying up in your favorite pajamas, wrapped in warmth, and savoring the bold, smoky flavors of a pot of Over-the-Top Chili. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food for cold evenings, with savory smoked meat, rich tomatoes, and a kick of spice that’s sure to chase away the frost. Let this colorful, hearty chili become your go-to dish when you need something truly soul-soothing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Lbs. Ground Venison (May sub ground beef)
• 1 Lb. Venison Breakfast Sausage (May sub standard pork breakfast sausage, hot pork breakfast sausage for more heat or more ground beef)
• 3 medium Red Onions, diced
• 3 TBSP Garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP W-Sauce (I used Fireshire for added heat)
• 5 – 14.5 oz can Tomatoes with Juice (I used Fire Roasted)
• 1 – 15 oz Tomato Sauce
• 1 – 7 oz can Chipotles in Adobo with the juice (Dice the Chipotles)
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 2 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 whole Jalapeno
• 1 can Beer
• 5 TBSP your favorite Chili Seasoning (I used Chili Seasoning by Hal the Cajun Lady)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare your smoker to a temperature of 225 F.
2. Prepare the chili: Combine, season and roll up the ground meat including the sausage into a large, packed ball. Set aside in the refrigerator.
3. Add the olive oil to a very large skillet. Sauté the onions, garlic and adobo peppers (including all the liquid from the can). Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Remove from skillet and place the mixture in the Dutch oven.
4. Mix the chili: Add the tomatoes with the juice, 1 can of beer and Chili Seasoning to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Add the chocolate, cinnamon sticks and jalapeño to the pot.
5. Cook the chili: Place the Dutch oven into the smoker. Place the ball of ground meat on the rack above it or simply place the ball on a cooling\baking rack that is placed directly on top of the pot. Cook the chili at 225 F until the ball of ground meat reaches 165 F.
6. When the ball of ground meat reaches 165 F, break it up and drop it into the chili to simmer with the temperature of the smoker set to 250 F. At this point the chili is cooked and can be consumed, but I prefer to simmer it for several more hours.
7. Make sure to stir the chili every 45 minutes or so. You can also cover the pot if you desire at any point.
8. Remove from the Dutch oven from the smoker. Pour yourself a big bowl and garnish it with what you like – Cheese, Sour Cream, Peppers, etc.