Mommy’s Race Day Beer & Bacon Chili

I spent most of Sunday morning at the grocery store stocking up on supplies. Supplies for what you ask? Well, I’ll tell you! It’s race day baby! The Daytona 500 is a major holiday in our house. I may not be a huge sports fan but I LOVE me some Nascar! Who knows, maybe it’s my redneck roots but the sound of those engines revving gets my blood pumping.

Of course, it wouldn’t be race day without some serious munchies. I break out the kids’ favorite cheesy crabby patties, chips and dip, and my personal favorite, chili. It’s the perfect one pot dinner for a cold Sunday afternoon. Plus, you can’t watch the biggest race of the year without a hearty bowl of chili now can you? I didn’t think so. I’ve tweaked my basic recipe a bit to include two of my favorite things….beer and bacon!!! And I am telling you….this is the best chili ever!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of bacon
1 pound of top sirloin cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound of ground beef
1 large onion (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
4-5 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 can of beer
1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes (drained)
1 small can of diced tomatoes(drained)
2 cans of chili beans (drained)
1 can of beef broth
1/3 cup of chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of oregano

shredded cheddar (optional)
chopped green onions (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Mmmm, pig fat RULES!!!

Cook the bacon in a large pot until crisp and set aside. Leave about 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan. Add the chopped sirloin to the pot and brown it in the bacon drippings for just a few minutes then remove it and set aside. Now you can add the peppers, onions and garlic. These should cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Next add the ground beef, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Once the beef is nicely browned add the sirloin back into the pot. Pour in the beer (go ahead and grab one for yourself, it IS race day!) and be sure to scrape up all of the yummy bits from the bottom of the pot. Those bits are pure flavor my friends! Once the liquid has reduced by about half of the beef broth. Again, reduce the liquid by about half.

Now you’re ready to add the remaining ingredients; tomatoes, beans, chili powder, and cumin. Bring everything just to a boil then cover, reduce heat and let it simmer for about an hour. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If it looks a little too thick you can always add a bit more of the beef broth to loosen things up.

I serve this chili hot and garnish mine with a little shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped green onions. My hubby likes to top his with cheese and crumbled up bacon. Oh yeah, remember that bacon you set aside??? It kicks up the chili a notch and the layers of flavor are out of this world! That’s it….drooling….can’t talk about it anymore!

Go ahead, grab a bowl and…..BOOGEDY, BOOGEDY, BOOGEDY! LET’S! GO! RACING! BOYS! (and girl)