Any Guy's Food Blog

I was inspired to go a different route than my traditional chili a while back. When thinking up ideas for a recipe incorporating the Double Barrel Al by Firestone Walker Brewing Co, I thought that the light smoke would lend itself to a good, but less aggressive chili. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 bottle Firestone Walker DBA
~2 lbs beef (I prefer brisket, but any cut that is marbled all the way through will work)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 can pinto beans (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
~ 1 tbsp vegetable oil
ground red pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:

Cut the steak into chunks about the size of ice cubes. Cook on high in a large pan with the oil, stirring occasionally. As soon as the cells of the meat break down and the water from the cells starts to separate from the meat, add the cumin, garlic, salt and onions. This is also where I add the red pepper blend that I have chosen. In the case of this particular recipe, I decided to go with chipotle powder. My idea was to bring another smokey flavor to add to the light smoke flavor from the Double Barrel Ale. When most of the water has cooked off, add about 1/2 bottle of beer and continue cooking until the meat is brown all the way through.

In a crock pot (or stock pot set to simmer) add the beans and the rest of the beer. If there is not enough liquid, add just enough water to submerge the top-most beans slightly in the pot. Add all of the meat and onions (and whatever broth remains) from the pan to the pot. Now let the chili simmer until the chunks of meat can be easily cut with a spoon. This will probably take an hour or so.

Tasting Notes:

I have made a chili of this style several times so I knew more or less what I was getting into from the get go. I usually go with a sharper red pepper like cayenne to add some end-of-the-palate bite after the smooth flavor of the rest of the chili. This time I decided to go with the smokey flavor of chipotle to mingle with the beer. I'm glad I did. It was a more subdued spice with richer tones in the chili. The beer adds a texture that is subtle and surprising. This isn't a beer flavor that will likely cut through a more aggressive chili, but it sits well in this recipe. I'm giving it a 9 out of 10.