Nebraska-style Beer Chili

Okay, so I'm not really sure if Beer Chili comes from Nebraska, but the chili I ate at home is most certainly not like the chili eaten in Kentucky. No, the folks in Kentuckiana's chili is darker in color, and, horror, they add PASTA to it, which confused me terribly when I first saw it.

Beer should be added to more food. It seems to be a running theme for me recently - I made a Guinness Chocolate Cake, and then Wednesday John and I went to a beer tasting, all of which served with beer infused food (see pic --->), at the Campbell Club here in town. Now beer chili!

The other 'secret' ingredient in this recipe is the Southwest Chipotle flavoring. Adds a further depth to an already very hearty, very flavorful chili.

I used 2 pounds of ground beef, 1 pound sausage, in this particular batch. Sometimes I use more sausage, sometimes turkey, venison, bison... Mom's version uses shredded porkloin and beef brisket smoked by Dad. Calls it her '$75 chili'. No joke, that.

Chili freezes really well. People also seem to appreciate receiving some, not sure why. ;)  (I tell you what I can't give away anymore - my deserts! Apparently it makes you fat, or some such thing. Pchah! I won't listen to such negativity!)

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Nebraska-style Beer Chili

Adapted from Mom's March-29-2013

Like I grew up with - beer, beef, tomatoes and beans

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 pound pork sausage
• 1 TBS Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
• 1 TBS chopped garlic
• 1 minced yellow onion
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 can green chilis
• 1 TBS crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 TBS cumin
• 3 TBS chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Jamaican all-spice
• 1/2 TBS (I like less salt, original recipe calls for lots more) seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 28oz can canned whole tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 TBS sugar
• 2 whole fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can red beans or pinto, drained
• to taste cracked pepper
• 1/2 bottle beer

Instructions

1. Add the garlic to a large pot, bring to medium-high heat. Add hamburger and sausage, brown. Add diced onion and green peppers. Add chili powder, southwest chipotle seasoning, crushed red pepper, cumin, seasoned salt. (Spicy ingredients benefit from being cooked.) Cook until meat is done, drain off grease. (Or buy really lean beef, there will be hardly any grease.)2. Add the beans, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato juice, and all other remaining ingredients, including beer. (I used Bud Light, but that's because it's what I had on hand.) 3. Cook for hours, if you can. At least 1, better if 2. Mine cooked for 6. Serve with cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream. 4. Eat way too much!

Details

Yield: 12 servings or so