This chili recipe is a variation on Food Network founder Jack Clifford’s award-winning recipe from the 1990s. It’s the perfect chili base recipe that will allow you to experiment with additional ingredients if you are adventurous. Maybe substitute a bit of the water with coffee? Or add some chocolate? Or variations on chili powders, hot sauces, and vinegars?
Ingredients
- ½ cup of vegetable or other cooking oil
- 2 Vidalia onions (finely chopped)
- 6 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1-1/2 lbs. of ground beef (80/20)
- 1-1/2 lbs. of ground pork
- 2 lbs. of chuck roast (trimmed and cubed)
- 5 cups of water
- 1 16-oz bottle of flat beer
- 1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
- 2 cans of tomato paste (4 oz)
- ½ cup of vinegar
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 6 tbsp. of chili powder
- 4 tbsp. of ground cumin
- 3 tbsp. of dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. of cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. of salt
- 6 beef bouillon cubes
Instructions
- Sauté onions and garlic in a sauté pan until soft and translucent. Transfer to a 4-qt (or larger) cooking pot.
- Brown the ground beef. Drain and transfer to pot.
- Brown the ground pork. Drain and transfer to pot.
- Brown the cubed chuck roast. Drain and transfer to pot.
- Using ¼ cup of boiling water, dissolve 6 beef bouillon cubes and add to pot.
- Stir in all wet ingredients (water, beer, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste) until fully incorporated.
- Add all dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- Cook on medium–high heat until the first signs of a low boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Continue to cook on low heat for a minimum of three hours (the longer the better, as the liquids will reduce and the chuck roast cubes will fall apart).
- Serve over a small amount of rice (optional).
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese and your favorite hot sauce if you desire a spicier chili.
- Commence with the Rootin,’ Tootin,’ Hootin’, and Hollerin’.