Monday, February 11, 2013

Chili -a classic for Football or any time

Smoked Pork Chili with the Works


There was a big championship game on TV a few weeks ago and with that comes the classic menu combination of beer and chili. My first choice was to use pork shoulder with red beans; they will not get as mushy when cooked as other beans. It was an all day project smoking and cooking, but was well worth it.
My beer pairing was a tasty Tiburon Blond Ale from my friends at the Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, California.

Smoked Pork Chili

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch thick slabs
4 dry Ancho chili pods, cleaned of seeds
1 T smoked paprika
1 T ground cumin
kosher salt
1 large red onion, char grilled then diced
2 Poblano chili, roasted, peeled then diced
5 garlic cloves, diced
1 can or three fresh diced tomatoes
1 small bag small red beans
1-3 T tomato paste
2 Quarts Water or chicken stock

Method:
1. Slice the pork into thin slabs and rub with smoked paprika, cold smoke for 2-3 hours in a smoker or your BBQ with wood chips. Dice into bite size pieces.
2. Cook the beans in water till tender, drain, cool and reserve.
3. Char the red onion and chili on the same grill. Peel, clean and dice.
4. Heat the water or stock, rehydrate the dry chili pods, and carefully blend till smooth.
5. Saute the vegetables, garlic and spices in a large heavy pot, add the meat and Ancho chili water,
bring to a simmer.
6. After about 30 minutes add tomato paste to help thicken the liquid, simmer another 15-20 minutes.
7. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Great served with diced white onions, chopped cilantro, avocado and your favorite hot sauce

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