Bold Irish Chili Recipe

When the weather turns cold, I crave food that will warm my bones. The kind of food that satisfies my quest for flavor but doesn’t sacrifice health for comfort.

I’m not always a big fan of chili, but sometimes it really does just hit the spot. You know? And if you’re a lover of all things bold and flavorful like me, I think you’ll enjoy mixing up a pot of this Bold Irish Chili.

There is subtle sweet heat that comes from the jalapeno salt, honey and cinnamon, while the whiskey gives it a nice smokey oak flavor. And you know the thing about chili…the longer you let it simmer the more rich the flavor.

Shall we get to the recipe?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 lbs ground meat
• 1 lbs sirloin, diced
• 1/2 lbs bacon, crumbled
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can red beans
• 4 cans (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 1 can (6oz) tomato paste
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 medium bell peppers
• 1 bunch kale
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup Jameson whiskey
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons chili pepper
• 2 tablespoons Churchill’s Sweet & Spicy Rub
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno salt (go here for a killer recipe)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Step one: In a cast iron skillet, brown your ground beef, seasoning with Churchill’s Sweet & Spicy. Discard any grease. Put into the bottom of a stock pot while you brown the sirloin. Add the sirloin to the ground beef and set aside. Bake or fry the bacon and then set aside to cool.

Step two: Dice up the onion and bell peppers. Coarsely chop the kale. Add all veggies to your iron skillet and let saute for about 8 minutes, stirring well. Once veggies are soft, add to the meat in the stock pot. Crumble up the bacon and add to pot.

Step three: Add beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Turn your burner on to medium, and stir contents with a wooden spoon to completely mix.

Step four: Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Once the fluids begin to bubble, set your burner to low and let simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours. Don’t forget to stir often so the sauce doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pot. And remember, the longer chili cooks on a low temperature the better the flavor.

If you like your chili on the spicy side, you could add another tablespoon of chili powder, or some diced jalapeno or habanaro peppers. Our jalapenos were packing some serious heat this year, so the jalapeno salt I used gave plenty of warmth.

If you like your chili on the sweeter side, add a few diced up radishes (radish will neutralize the heat from peppers while adding incredible flavor). Or simply skip the jalapeno salt altogether and add a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Add a pinch of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and enjoy. And don’t forget to freeze the leftover chili for the next time you have a craving for something warm on a cold day.

Be well –