Inspired by an award winning chili recipe, we combined bacon, beer, ground beef, and Little Bottles THE ORIGINAL Seasoning and Rub for a simple, delicious meal. The smoky, salty, fatty richness of the bacon mellows out the acid from the tomatoes for a totally satisfying bowl of chili. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds ground beef
2 strips of your favorites bacon, diced
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can (28 ounce) peeled Italian tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons Little Bottles THE ORIGINAL Seasoning and Rub
1 tablespoon sweet and smoky paprika (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup of your favorite beer (an IPA or a dry pilsner works best in this recipe)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot
1/2 bunch swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt (we generally use 1 teaspoon per pound of meat)
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven, sauté diced bacon over medium heat until just crisp. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic to the Dutch oven and sauté in the bacon grease for about 5 minutes or until just translucent. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven and sauté. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, break the meat into small pieces as you stir. Cook until browned. Return the reserved bacon and cooked vegetables to the Dutch oven.
Add tomato paste to the center of the Dutch oven and slowly stir to incorporate with the meat and vegetables.
Sprinkle Little Bottles THE ORIGINAL Seasoning and Rub and paprika (optional) over the meat and vegetables. Gently stir to incorporate.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, beer, Frank’s Red Hot, and kidney beans to the spiced meat and vegetables. Gently stir to incorporate. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, gently break-up the whole tomatoes to your desired consistency.
Bring chili to a steady simmer over medium heat. Partially cover the Dutch oven and lower heat. Continue to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour to allow the chili to thicken and all the wonderful flavors to combine.
Add swiss chard and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes or until the chard is just wilted.
Ladle chili into individual serving bowls. Combine chili with your favorite toppings!
Notes:
Always add Little Bottles spice blends during the cooking process. Combining with the meat and fat as recommended in this recipe enhances the key ingredient (the ground beef) and helps to bloom the seasoning spices for maximum flavor.
Always check on your chili as it simmers. If it becomes too dry, then add some a little more chicken stock. If too wet, then continue to simmer.
