Bourbon Trail Chili Recipes

BEST EVER CHUCK WAGON CHILI

Steps:

• In a large pot, cook the ground beef over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions, green pepper and habanero pepper until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Transfer the onion mixture to the pot with the ground beef, and set the heat to medium.
• Add the kidney beans and tomato sauce to the beef mixture, and season with chili powder, salt, garlic salt and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer, and adjust seasonings to taste if necessary. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

BOURBON POTTED CHILI ONIONS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large casserole over low heat. Add the onions, add the salt and pepper and stir to coat well. Cook very slowly over slow heat until the onions are soft and translucent. In rapid succession add the chili powder and stir to incorporate fully. Stir in the tomato paste and sugar and moisten with the vinegar. Continue to cook over low heat. As the liquids begin to bubble, be careful not to burn the tomato and sugar. Nothing should caramelize in this dish. Add the bourbon carefully, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Add the broth and braise, with a lid on, until the onions are nearly dry.
• May be served hot or cold.

BOB'S LITTLE KNOWN, LESS CARED ABOUT CHILI

Steps:

• Cook bacon and onion together in a large pot over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, garlic and cumin to the pot; cook and stir until the beef is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir kidney beans, diced tomatoes, water, chili powder, liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce into the beef mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until thick, about 1 hour. Skim excess grease if desired.

BRIAN'S BOURBON CHILI

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, add beef, 1/4 cup bourbon, half the garlic, oregano, and sage. Cook, breaking up beef with a wooden spoon, until meat is browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to a medium bowl and set aside; discard remaining juices.
• In the same pot over high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, orange juice, butter, and remaining garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chili powder, chipotle, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add remaining bourbon, reduce heat to medium, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add beans and reserved beef. (If mixture is dry, add up to 1 cup water.) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Before serving, stir together sour cream and mint in a small bowl. Divide chili among bowls and garnish each with about 1 tablespoon Cheddar and 2 teaspoons mint sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

SPICY BOURBON CHILI

Steps:

• Brown Ground Chuck and minced garlic.
• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onions and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the ground chuck and garlic mixture to pot. Stir in remaining ingredients except bourbon and beans. Use only 1 teaspoon of ground red pepper to begin with, adding more for hotter chili.
• Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Add Bourbon and kidney beans and simmer for 1/2 hour longer.