BK’s Tailgate Chili
BK’s Tailgate chili
One of our favorite things to make in the fall and winter months is chili! It’s a hearty, stick-to-your-bones kind of meal and a great thing to make when you’re entertaining a large group. BK has also made this several times on colder days while tailgating for a Buffalo Bills game, it reheats nicely. He’s been making this for several years, and each year, it has evolved quite a bit. BK was inspired by two chili recipes, including this one and Malcolm Reed’s smoked recipe, eventually creating his own spin on it! We’ve had a smoker since early 2020; we started out with this propane smoker and used it nonstop. When we moved, we decided to upgrade to a Traeger, which has been well worth the investment. Either one does the job, but if you don’t have a smoker, no worries - BK included directions without it too.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. Let’s dig into it! Feel free to make it your own, just as BK has, with the amount of heat and toppings you prefer.
What you’ll need
3-4lb chuck roast
1 LB hot (or preferred spice level) Italian sausage
1 LB thick sliced hickory smoked bacon
2 28oz cans of tomato puree
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (optional based on spice preference)
2 cans of diced chili peppers
4 cubes of beef bouillon
1/2 cup of bourbon or dark beer
1/4 cup Ancho Chili powder or more to taste
1/8 cup of New Mexico chili powder
1/8 cup of Pasilla chili powder
1 tablespoon of minced garlic, or more to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
for the Chuck Roast Rub
1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
2 teaspoons of smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon of favorite All Purpose rub (BK used Meat Church Holy Gospel)
Instructions
Step 1: If you are using the smoking method
Preheat the smoker to between 275-300. Combine Chuck Roast rub and rub Chuck Roast liberally over all sides. Place on the smoker and let it cook for about 4 hours or until the internal temp is around 180 degrees. For my latest smoke, I used Mesquite wood pellets. Mesquite is one of the stronger smoke flavors, so you could use Hickory or Oak. However, I did not find the Mesquite overpowering in any sense, and I think it made it better.
Remove from smoker and cube chuck roast. I try and prepare it the night before and place it in the fridge until it’s so it’s ready to use the next day.
Step 2: If you are not using the smoking method
Skip the chuck roast rub and cube the chuck roast. Bring the pot you are using to cook your chili to medium heat and brown the meat cubes on all sides. I typically aim for between medium rare and medium doneness on the meat, it will continue to tenderize when we cook it in the chili. Once done, remove from pot.
Step 3: Prep the base
In the pot being used for cooking the chili, cook Italian sausage.
Step 4: Cook Bacon + Veggies
At the same time, in a large frying pan cook the bacon until crispy.
Once the bacon is done, scoop bacon from the pan while leaving bacon grease. Cook all vegetables in bacon grease until softened.
Step 5: Combine
Combine vegetables and meat into chili pot once cooked and veggies have softened.
Step 6: Add ingredients
Pour in all wet and dry ingredients and simmer over low heat for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the better the result. I aim for around 6 hours.
Step 7: Taste Ingredients
Taste and season with more salt, pepper, sugar, and chili powder if necessary. I also typically add lime juice towards the end of the simmering process if bitter.
Step 8: Serve
To serve, ladle hot chili into bowls and top with corn chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onion. Enjoy!
And that’s it!
You’ll notice BK does not include any beans in this recipe, he’s not much of a bean guy! However, this chili is packed with flavor, heat, spice, and smoke. Surely you will enjoy it, please let us know if you make it. Thanks for reading!
xx CMK + BK
