January 2021 Firehouse Chili

INGREDIENTS

· 1/4 cup canola oil

· 2lbs flank steak cut into 1/4 inch dice

· 1 pound ground pork

· 8 ounce Italian Sausage mild, casings removed

· 8 ounce Italian Sausage hot, casings removed

· 2 medium onion diced

· 4 cloves garlic peeled

· 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced

· 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced

· 1/2 cup chile powder

· 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped

· 1 tablespoon cumin

· 1teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

· 1 teaspoon oregano

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon paprika

· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

· 1/2 teaspoon sugar

· 2-3 bay leaves

· 1 28-oz can stewed tomatoes Mexican style

· 1 28-oz can tomato sauce

· 1 cup green chili salsa

· Poblano Chilies, stemmed, seeded and diced

· 1 cup beef broth

· 1 cup beer

· sour cream for garnish

· cheddar grated for garnish

· cilantro for garnish

· Fritos for garnish

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom soup pot. Working in batches, lightly brown the flank steak in the oil for about 4 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a bowl. Then, add the ground pork and sausage to the pot and lightly brown the mixture, breaking up any large pieces with a spoon. Transfer to the bowl with the steak and set aside.

2. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers and jalapenos to the pot and sauté five minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, pepper, oregano, salt, paprika, cayenne, sugar and bay leaves, and sauté about a minute.

3. Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, chilies, broth, beer and browned meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook the chili over low heat, uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring from time to time.

4. When ready to serve, skim off excess fat from the surface and discard the bay leaves. Ladle into warm bowls and pass the sour cream, cheese and other accompaniments at the table.