Brewdood's Three-Meat Four-Alarm Chili

Philosophy: Life is an adventure. What you create for your table should be as well. Take it slow, and enjoy the process. Your result will speak for itself.

Pour a pint of your favorite Barley's ale before you start. Barley's Pale Ale or MacLenny's Scottish Ale will do just right here, since you'll be cooking with both.

It's for you, and it really matters if you want to have a truly outstanding result. Call it Karma.

What are we trying to achieve here? Consider the ingredients in this recipe to be just the starting point. The whole idea is to introduce various flavors and textures into the dish. Any three meats you'd like will work-making them different textures adds to the interest and depth of this classic one-pot meal.

Likewise, there are countless variations when adding chili peppers to the dish. The idea is to build a three dimensionality by including fresh, bright flavors, mingled with musty, "back-beat" tones and finally, some heat that should kick in after your palate has found the first flavors.

You'll know you've got a winner when someone says, "That's good... oh wait, it's actually a little spicy... wow, that's more spice then I can handle."

Then they take a second bite. Then, a second bowl.

Think of your chili in three dimensions. There should be a depth of flavor to all the components. Sweating and caramelizing the vegetables adds to the depth of the base. Careful selection of your peppers will build the heat of the chili. Finally, using three meats provides for varied taste and tactile variety.

You aren't looking for a one-note wonder here. You're creating your own masterpiece. Feel free to substitute or leave out anything you don't want.

Beer Pairings: Chili and beer are about as classic a food pairing combination as there is. Serve with the beer you cooked with--either Barley's Pale Ale or MacLenny's Scottish Ale. Both are available at both locations year round.

Or try pairing up with something a liitle hoppier, such as Barley's Centennial IPA. You're putting three meats into your chili, and you're adding three chilis. Why not keep the theme going, and work with three beers? It's on tap most of the time at one location or the other.

Ingredients:

1 pint BARLEY'S PALE ALE or MACLENNY'S SCOTTISH ALE

1/4 cup VEGETABLE OIL
1large RED OR WHITE ONION, chopped
1 large YELLOW ONION, chopped

5-10 CLOVES GARLIC, minced

1 GREEN BELL PEPPER, seeded and chopped
2 tbl CELERY SALT
1 SERRANO PEPPER, diced with seeds

1 stick SMOKED ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE (about ½ pound)
2½ - 3 lbs BEEF CHUCK ROAST
2 ½ - 3 lbs BONED PORK BOSTON BUTT or SHOULDER

1 pint BARLEY'S PALE ALE to deglaze pan

¼ cup fresh ground DRIED ANCHO CHILIS
1/8 cup or more fresh ground CHIPOTLE CHILIS
1/2 cup CUMIN
2 tbl CRACKED BLACK PEPPER
4 tbl GATES OF HELL SAUCE (if making four alarm chili) (2)

2 28 oz cans DICED TOMATOES
1 28 oz can TOMATO SAUCE
2 16 oz cans DARK KIDNEY BEANS

1 pint or more MACLENNY'S SCOTTISH ALE to finish chili

Process:

Cut pork shoulder into 1/2 inch cubes; put in freezer while your'e cutting the rest of the meat. Cut beef chuck into 1/4 inch cubes. They should be fairly small, but not approximating ground beef. Dice andouille sausage.

Grind ancho and chipotle peppers in a spice grinder. (A cheap coffee grinder works. Just make sure you don't grind coffee in it, unless you like spicy coffee! That's another story...)

Sweat andouille sausage in large stock pot over medium heat. After sausage has crisped up a bit, add onions and, if needed, vegetable oil. Sautee until translucent--about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir for one to two minutes.

Add chopped green peppers, celery salt and diced serrano pepper. Add ground chili peppers. Sautee about 5 minutes.

While vegetables are sweating, remove pork from freezer and put into food processor. Pulse until meat is coarsely ground.

Add ground pork to stockpot, stirring as needed. As pot loses liquid, watch to keep from getting scorched. Allow some carmalization, then deglaze with Barley's Pale Ale.

Sear beef in oiled skillet on high heat. A cast iron skillet works well for this. Add cumin, stir until browned, and add to stockpot. Deglaze skillet with Barley's Pale Ale, carefully scraping off all bits, and add to stock pot.

Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and MacLenny's Scottish Ale to stockpot. You may want to add a teaspoon of sugar to counteract the acid of the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered over low heat for 90 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim off any fat, reheat and serve. Good with minced raw red onion as a garnish. Try a combination of shredded sharp Canadian white cheddar and a round of goat cheese.

And, of course, a pint or two of your favorite Barley's ale.

Cheers!
Brewdood

"Have you ever tried to sear meat in a skillet and you end up with a piece of meat taking a bath?

Where does that water come from? You can read the official explanation from the USDA website.

Draw your own conclusions. I'd rather buy from a source I can trust."

--Brewdood

Sourcing:

All vendors listed here are located at The North Market

Beef and Pork: Bluescreek Farms
naturally raised, without growth hormones or antibiotics

Sausage: Best of the Wurst
meats & sausages, scratch soups and grilled panini sandwiches

Produce and Chilis : North Market Produce
fresh fruits and vegetables

Cheese: Curds and Whey
over 300 varieties of imported and domestic cheeses, olives, caviar, jams, honey

Barley's Brewing Company Ale House No. 1xxxxx 467 North High Street Columbus OH 43215

Barley's Smokehouse & Brewpub Ale House No. 2xx 1130 Dublin Road Columbus OH 43215