Burnt End Beer Chili

When I saw that the throwdown topic this week was chili I new it would be great opportunity to enter in my first throwdown. I have been making this chili for over 5 years now and very rarely stray from it. The reason I like it it because it highlights 2 of my favorite things in life, beer and brisket. The ingredients are not complex, but the brisket and beer are major players. The bark on the burnt ends is crucial as it adds a whole different dimension to the chili. Also, the BE's must be perfectly tender, they should hold their shape but melt in your mouth. The type of beer used is just as important as the hops shine through and allow you to tailor the chili to you own taste in beer. No beans here, there is no need as the 1-2 punch of the brisket and beer is the focus. Here we go.

I usually use leftover brisket, true burnt ends, the edges of either the point or flat, whatever you have left over. Knowing that I didnt have time for a large brisket I opted to buy a flat. These are available at our local food lion, they are actually not bad.

I applied a basic rub, no need to overdue it as the chili flavors will prevail.

On the OTG, disregard the poke chops (they were friday nights dinner).

I enjoyed some fine local Virginia whiskey while I tended to the brisket. The OTG was humming along at about 350 deg.

The fire moved quickly around the brisket, Hot and Fast 2.0

You might want avoid the next few if your squimish, even I have a hard time chunking up a perfectly good brisket.




The burnt ends went into the fridge overnight. This afternoon I started collecting the players once the whiskey haze wore off.

I started with the celery and a little salt

Then completed the Cajun trinity, I used poblanos

And the garlic with some hot sauce

Then the tomato ingredients

Beer and beef broth

green chilies and chipotles in adobo (sEed sacks removed)

seasonings

After all that (which I added in intervals) got happy, I added the BE's. It is crucial to wait until the chili has had time to come together prior to adding the BE's, if the timing is not right you will have shredded beef chili.

Braising the brisket. At this point I am also tasting and adjusting spices.

And the money shot. No frills here ladies and gentlemen, IMHO anything added to the bowl detracts from what I want to taste. The flavor profile is smoky/beefy/hoppy with a hint of garlic and spice. The burnt ends literally melt in your mouth.


Thanks for looking! Please stop by the chili throwdown voting thread next week and vote for your favorite chili. Not sure I can hang with those guys, there are already some amazing entries.

Garrett said:

Since Ive had your brisket before, I'm pretty sure that chili is awesome!! See ya Tuesday brother!

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Not sure that little flat was comp quality but it did the trick! For those of you that don't know, Garrett has built me a bad arse hog cooking swivel grate that I'm getting this week. I'm pumped! See you Tuesday Garrett!