Description
Ina Garten’s brisket chili delivers hearty southwestern comfort with rich, slow-cooked flavors. Robust beef and complex spices create a memorable meal for hungry guests seeking authentic southwestern warmth.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 lbs (1.4–1.8 kg) beef brisket, trimmed
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 3.5 tbsps Texas chili powder, such as Mexene or Gebhardt’s
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 quart (4 cups / 946 ml) beef broth
- 28 oz (794 g) whole tomatoes, in juice
- 2 cups white onion, small diced (one large onion)
- 5 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp chipotle chile powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup strong black coffee
- Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- White onion
- Fritos
- Tabasco sauce
- Jalapenos
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Meticulously trim brisket, removing excess fat and cutting into precise quarter-inch cubes, reserving the point for another culinary endeavor.
- Bacon Rendering: In a spacious cast-iron pot, crisp bacon until golden-brown, extracting and setting aside on a paper towel-lined plate while preserving the rendered fat.
- Meat Searing: Elevate stovetop temperature to medium-high, utilizing bacon fat to sear meat cubes in strategic batches, achieving a rich, caramelized exterior and seasoning generously with kosher salt, black pepper, and onion powder.
- Aromatics Development: Introduce diced white onions in the same pot, encouraging caramelization and scraping the bottom to incorporate flavorful browned remnants, then integrate selected spices and pressed garlic, creating a fragrant base.
- Liquid Integration: Reintroduce browned meat cubes, pour robust coffee and beef broth, manually crush whole tomatoes, and crumble reserved bacon throughout the mixture, creating a harmonious flavor profile.
- Slow Simmering: Cover the pot, reduce heat, and allow the chili to simmer gently for 2.5-3 hours, developing deep, complex flavors and monitoring liquid levels by supplementing with additional beef broth as necessary.
- Final Touches: Optional enhancement with tabasco pepper sauce, then serve garnished with freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, finely minced white onion, and crisp Frito corn chips.
Notes
- Precise Meat Preparation: Trim brisket meticulously, cutting into uniform quarter-inch cubes for consistent cooking and texture.
- Fat Rendering Technique: Use bacon fat for initial searing to build deep, rich flavor foundation in the chili.
- Strategic Batch Browning: Sear meat in batches at medium-high heat to achieve perfect caramelization without overcrowding the pot.
- Flavor Layering Method: Build complexity by incorporating spices, deglazing with coffee and broth, and allowing slow, extended simmering to develop intense taste profiles.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg