Mike's Chuck Wagon Chili

This entry is from Mike Zimmerle

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Mike's Chuck Wagon Chili

1 pound thick sliced lean bacon (cut into 1/4 inch pieces)
3 pounds lean ground chuck (I sometimes use ½ inch cubes of lean beef)
1 pound Bob Evans sausage
1 large yellow onion (diced)
1 large red onion (diced)
2 cans Hunts Tomato sauce (29 oz.)
1 can V-8 (12oz.)
1 can ro-tel diced tomatoes (10 oz with lime juice and cilantro) also has chopped jalapenos
2 cans Aldie's chili beans (15 oz.)
2 cans Aldie's red kidney beans (drained,15 oz.)
1 can Bush's Black Beans (15 oz.)
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon ham seasoning (bullion)
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons Gebhardt chili powder (add 1 more if you want a little more kick)
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons cumin (add 1/2 tablespoon for more kick)
1 Tablespoon Mike's Fiery Hot Seasoned Salt (Blend of dried peppers mostly chipotles with dried onion and dried garlic mixed with seasoned salt)
2 packets Sazon Goya (con azafran) seasoning

I use a large Dutch cast iron dutch oven to cook all of this in.
stir frequently to prevent sticking throughout the cooking.

1. Brown the bacon in the butter over medium heat until browned ( the butter will be foaming at this point) remove from heat and using a slotted spoon take the bacon out and drain on paper towels for later use. (now you have seasoned the Dutch oven)

2. Add the ground chuck and the sausage to the bacon grease and butter and return to medium heat and stir until meat is 2/3's browned. Add diced onions and cook until rest of meat is browned and drain off liquid.

3. Add 2 tablespoons Gebhardts chili powder, 1 tablespoon cracked pepper, 1 tablespoon cumin and 1 tablespoon crushed garlic and stir until meat is covered well.

4. Stir in both cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of ro-tel and 1 can of V-8 and add 1 tablespoon ham seasoning and 1 tablespoon brown sugar (takes the "wang" out of the tomato sauce) 

5. Add the 2 cans of Mexican chili beans, the 2 cans of red kidney beans, and the can of black beans and stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

6. Finally add 1 tablespoon fo Gebhardt's chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon Mikes Fiery Hot Seasoned Salt and the 2 packets of Sazon Goya seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes stir in crumbled bacon, cook 10 more minutes and serve.

I know this seems like a lot of trouble but the reason you don't use all of your seasonings to start with is you want to season your meat 1st but you would cook a lot of your seasoning away if you used it all to start with so you save part until the last stage of cooking.

Variations: if you use chopped or small cubes of meat you will need to add a couple cans of beef broth or chicken broth after step 2 (barely enough to cover the meat) and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to tenderize the meat) before going on to step 3

Hints: To thicken if you have too thin of chili, a little Jiffy mix corn bread mix (flower, corn meal, and sugar)or a can of refried beans stirred into the chili or a few cubes of Velveeta cheese. (Velveeta melts best but don't use much)

Some cooks at a small cube of unsweetened chocolate to their chili to impart a darker color and add just a little flavor.

Last but not least If you are Cooking this for an ICS chili contest you will have to omit the beans (as they are illegal) Make sure you use little or no cheese ( they want "Texas Red" chili and the cheese lightens the color. and omit adding the bacon back in.

There you go.

Add some shredded cheese and some Fritos and enjoy.

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy crap...what a ride!"

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