Our church had a fund raising chili cook-off this past weekend. The chili recipes ranged from white chicken, venison, vegetarian, and classic dirty cowboy chili. The competition was stiff, yet somehow, my chili won. I used the gas grill and a large disposable aluminum roasting pan to cook the chili – a genius method for large quantities. Hard to believe a girl from Connecticut, who didn’t even taste chili until late in life, could win a cook-off, so there you go.
makes 20 servings
1/4 cup olive oil
1 12 ounce bag chopped frozen onions (you can use fresh, but these are so handy)
4 pounds ground chuck
1 pound sweet Italian sausage – removed from the casing
Spice Mix
1 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne red pepper (or to taste)
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
2 28-ounce cans petite dice tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 15-ounce cans white bean, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup flat Italian parsley, stems removed and chopped
Sour cream and cilantro for serving
- Heat the gas grill to medium high, and place an aluminum roasting pan on the grill. (if you have a large enough pot, use the range)
- Add the olive oil and the onions and stir until translucent
- Add the ground chuck and the sausage and break the meat apart and brown
- Add the spice mix and stir
- Add the tomato paste, petite dice tomatoes, lemon juice, red wine, Dijon, and white beans and stir
- Simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the chili is thick
- Add the parsley and stir, simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes
- Serve with sour cream and cilantro
