Steve's Chili
Submitted by chali
Slow-simmered ground beef chili with a surprise twist: sliced pepperoni stirred in with kidney beans for smoky, spicy depth. Serve over rice with melted cheddar on top.
Here’s a chili that plays by its own rules. Two pounds of ground beef simmer low and slow in a rich tomato base loaded with green chilies, allspice, and a pinch of ground cloves.
Then comes the curveball: sliced pepperoni goes in with the kidney beans for the final stretch, adding a salty, smoky punch you won’t find in any other chili recipe.
Pile it over steamed rice, blanket it in shredded cheddar, and let the heat build. Fair warning: this one gets spicier as it sits.
Pro Tips
- Brown the beef in batches if your pan is crowded. You want a hard sear, not steamed meat.
- The heat sneaks up on you. Start with less red pepper flakes and taste after the first hour of simmering.
- Make it a day ahead. Chili always tastes better the next day once the spices have had time to meld together.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to prevent scorching during the long simmer.
Ingredients
Directions
Fry together the ground beef, onion, garlic and some salt until the beef is browned.
Meanwhile in a large kettle, mix together the tomato sauce, green chilies and tomatoes and heat over low heat.
When the hamburger is done, mix in with tomato sauce mixture.
Add the spices, salt and sugar, stir well, and adjust ingredients to taste.
It will taste hotter later than it does now.
Simmer for about 1½ hours, and then add beans and pepperoni.
Simmer for 30 minutes longer.
Serve over rice, topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
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