Some people get really excited when “pumpkin season” rolls in. This is usually around the time when the evenings get chilly and things start to feel real festive, because the holidays are just around the corner. This is when pumpkins start getting used as decorations and become the primary flavor for so many recipes between late September and on through November.
Although I love pumpkin season (I probably didn’t even need to say that), there is nothing like a big warm bowl of hearty chili. Just the act of sprinkling cheese and crumbling crackers into a bowl of warm chili is a guaranteed way to feel cozy. 100% guaranteed. Trust me.
Let’s get it started…
Everyone has their own chili recipe. Chili is one of those recipes that people often just wing, but over time, you develop a recipe that is perfect. Exactly how you want it. This is my version of the perfect chili recipe.
I start with 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and 1 pound of Italian sausage. I like the combination of both meats. Ground beef is such a classic chili protein and the Italian sausage adds another layer of flavor that adds both to the taste and complexity.
Season the beef with some garlic powder and onion powder and then brown the meat together in a large skillet. Italian sausage is already seasoned with garlic, fennel and paprika, among other spices, plus the chili will have tons of flavor added throughout the process, so a little garlic powder and onion powder on the beef is all you need at this point.
Once the meat is browned, transfer it into a large deep pot or a dutch oven and then add the chopped yellow onion into the skillet. Cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 3 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of a chili spice blend, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in with the onions and cook for 60 seconds, stirring consistently. The consistency will be like a thick, rust colored paste at this point. If you have made curry before, this part of the process is very similar. In just about 60 seconds, the garlic will become super fragrant, the brown sugar will break down and the spices will bloom and wake up. It smells so good!
Next, add 6 ounces or about half of a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout into the skillet and use the beer to deglaze the pan. Deglazing is the process of adding a bit of liquid to the skillet to loosen up and incorporated all of the brown bits and extra flavor stuck throughout the skillet. Don’t leave any of this behind!
Once the bottom of the skillet looks well scraped, transfer all of the onions, garlic, spices and beer into the pot with your browned beef and sausage. Remove the skillet from the burner (we are done with the skillet at this point – thanks skillet!) and transfer the pot onto a burner with medium heat.
Add 2 cups of beef stock, 15 ounces of black beans, 15 ounces of dark red kidney beans, 14 ounces of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies and 14 ounces of stewed tomatoes into the pot and mix until everything is fully combined.
Bring the chili up to a simmer and let it simmer until you are ready to serve it. It will be good after 20 or 30 minutes of simmering, but the longer it goes, the better. I usually get it to the simmering point about 90 minutes before I am ready to serve it. This gives all of the flavors lots of time to develop and become even more fabulous…
This chili is really perfect. A great balance of meat and beans, bold flavors with just the right amount of heat, a subtle sweetness from the beer and brown sugar and tons of heartiness from the worcestershire sauce, onions and garlic.
The toppings that you garnish your bowl of chili with are very important, as they add different layers of flavor. The most important garnish for me is the cheese. A nice sharp cheddar goes perfect with the chili, but so does mozzarella, monterey or pepper jack, American cheese or even gouda. Whatever you like!
Its tough making your entire batch of chili super spicy, as you narrow down who will enjoy it, so I like to make the actual chili moderately spicy, but pile on the pickled jalapeños during the garnishing stage.
Sour cream, finely chopped cilantro or green onions and lime wedges are a few more of my go to chili garnishes. I usually use a little bit of all of them, crumble some buttery crackers over my bowl and then find the best spot on the couch to hunker down and enjoy my perfect bowl of chili.
Classic Beef & Sausage Chili
Ingredients
Beef & Sausage Chili
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili spice blend
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 6 ounces Guinness Extra Stout
- 2 cups beef stock
- 15 ounces black beans
- 15 ounces dark red kidney beans
- 14 ounces petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 14 ounces stewed tomatoes
Garnishes
- sour cream
- green onion, thinly sliced
- pickled jalapeños
- sharp cheddar, shredded
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- Brown 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and 1 pound of Italian sausage in a large skillet and then transfer the browned meat into a large deep pot or dutch oven and set aside
- Add 1 large chopped yellow onion into the skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
- Add 3 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of a chili spice blend, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in with the onions and cook for 60 seconds, stirring consistently
- Add 6 ounces of Guinness Extra Stout and stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until all of the brown bits have been worked up into the sauce
- Transfer the onions, garlic, spices and beer mixture into the pot with the browned beef and sausage
- Add 2 cups of beef stock, 15 ounces of black beans, 15 ounces of dark red kidney beans, 14 ounces of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies and 14 ounces of stewed tomatoes into the pot and stir until everything is fully combined
- Bring the chili up to a simmer
- Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, reducing the heat to the lowest point that it will continue to simmer on
- Serve garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, finely chopped cilantro, pickled jalapeños and lime wedges with some buttery crackers
- For leftovers, cover the pot and let the chili cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator
