Over The Top (OTT) Chili
Ingredients
Beef Ball
- 3.5 lbs Ground Beef 80/20
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Chili Base Spices
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- crushed red pepper or cayenne powder to taste
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
Chili Base
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cups onions minced - about 2 onions
- 3 jalapeños minced
- 1 sweet pepper chopped - about the same amount as jalapeños maybe a little more
- 3 cups celery sliced thin - about 1 bunch or 2 hearts
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 lg can
- 56 oz tomato sauce 2 lg cans
- 3-4 cups beef broth or water
Instructions
Start The Smoker
- Preheat smoker to 250℉
Prepare Chili base
- In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
- Add onions, peppers, and celery.
- Cook until crisp tender, stirring frequently.
- Add chili base spices; stir.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth, stir well.
Prepare Beef Ball
- Mix beef ball spices.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, and about half of the spices until just combined taking care not to over work the meat.
- Form the meat into a loaf without packing too hard.
- Season the outside of the beef ball with the rest of the spices.
Smoke Chili
- Place the Dutch oven with the chili base, uncovered, on the smoker.
- Place grill rack over the Dutch oven, and place beef ball on the rack.
- Smoke at 250℉ for 90 minutes.
- Increase heat to 350℉, and continue smoking until beef ball has reached an internal temperature of 160℉ (about 1.5-2 hours)
Combine Beef and Base
- Slice and crumble the beef ball.
- Add crumbled beef and any juices to chili base.
- Stir together and simmer (on the smoker or stove) for at least 30 minutes.
Serve
- Serve in bowl, or add macaroni, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc.
- Enjoy.