Tini’s Bacon and Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 jalapeño (deseeded and diced; creator says she usually uses half a jalapeño and half a red chili pepper, but used a whole jalapeño because no red chili pepper was available)
• 1 red onion (diced; use the white part for the chili)
• green onions (for garnish; amount not specified)
• garlic (cloves, crushed or minced; use as much as desired)
• 9 slices bacon (about 8–10 slices; chopped)
• garlic powder (creator does not measure; suggests starting with about 1 teaspoon of each seasoning and adjusting to taste)
• onion powder (creator does not measure; suggests starting with about 1 teaspoon of each seasoning and adjusting to taste)
• chili powder (creator does not measure; suggests starting with about 1 teaspoon of each seasoning and adjusting to taste)
• cayenne pepper (creator does not measure; suggests starting with about 1 teaspoon of each seasoning and adjusting to taste)
• cumin (a little; amount not specified)
• smoked paprika (a good amount; creator does not specify a measurement)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 0.5 tsp seasoning mix for ground beef (creator says to add half a teaspoon and mix it into the beef; which seasoning is meant is not specified)
• 1 cup beer (creator prefers stout; substitute beef stock if avoiding alcohol)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 can kidney beans (drained; can size not specified)
• 1 can pinto beans (drained; can size not specified)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (can size not specified)
• 1 can tomato sauce (can size not specified)
• cocoa powder (a good spoonful; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Dice the red bell pepper and deseeded jalapeño. Put them together in a bowl.

2. 2

   Dice the red onion and add it to the bowl of vegetables. Mince or crush the garlic; set it with the other vegetables. Chop the green onions separately for garnishing.

3. 3

   Chop the bacon into small pieces. Prepare the seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and smoked paprika. The creator does not measure them, suggesting about 1 teaspoon to start and tasting as you go; use a little cumin and a good amount of smoked paprika.

4. 4

   Add ½ teaspoon of the unspecified seasoning to the ground beef and mix it in.

5. 5

   Set a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp, rendering its fat into the pot.

6. 6

   Lift the crisp bacon out of the pot and set it on a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

7. 7

   Add the ground beef to the bacon fat. Cook it through, breaking it up as it cooks.

8. 8

   Remove the cooked beef from the pot, leaving the fat behind. Add half of the remaining seasoning to the fat and stir; let it cook for a few seconds.

9. 9

   Add the diced bell pepper, jalapeño, red onion, and garlic to the pot. Stir to coat and cook until the vegetables take on some color, about 3–5 minutes, until cooked.

10. 10

    Pour in the beer to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it cook for a few minutes to reduce. If avoiding alcohol, use beef stock in place of the beer.

11. 11

    Add 1 cup beef stock, the drained kidney beans, the drained pinto beans, tomato paste, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cooked beef, crisp bacon, and the remaining seasonings. Stir everything together.

12. 12

    Add a good spoonful of cocoa powder and stir it into the chili.

13. 13

    Let the chili simmer for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, until thickened to your liking.

14. 14

    Serve the chili, garnished with the chopped green onions.

Notes

The transcript does not specify exact amounts for the garlic, most seasonings, or cocoa powder, and does not identify the seasoning added to the beef. Can sizes are not given, so bean and tomato weights are approximate for nutrition purposes only. The creator says the beer cooks out; use beef stock instead if avoiding alcohol. Garnish with green onions.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• American
• chili
• beef
• bacon
• comfort food
• simmered
• cold-weather