The final item remaining in my Strategic Freezer Reserve from my stock-up trip just before starting more serious social isolation was a 3.5 pound chuck roast. I bought it with chili in mind and have had 2-3 weeks to think about how I wanted to make it. I've made Kenji's authentic Texas recipe a couple of times and Meathead's recipe from here a couple of times. I decided to take what I like most about both and add a big change at the beginning. I've never been satisfied with the sear I've gotten with either recipe so I decided to completely forego the sear and to just cook the chuck all the way to to "pulled beef" consistency on the grill. Here's the SMC recording. I initially planned to cook to an internal of 205, but I decided to go ahead and pull it off the grill at 195. That was partly impatience and partly concern that the meat might dry out after such a long cook without a water pan. I cooked at 275 with three large hickory chunks. I dry brined overnight and then sprinkled liberally with pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
The fire almost got away from me very early so I went ahead and opened up the Kamado to throw in some poblano peppers, a jalapeno and an onion. After closing I got the top vent adjusted properly and the temp held really well. I pulled the veggies after an hour and a half.
I prefer the ease of Kenji's method of blooming the dry chiles in a hot skillet and then popping them into boiling broth to hydrate before putting into the blender. I went with two anchos, two guajillos, a mulato and a pasilla. I also put one of my smoked poblanos in the broth because it was a bit too small and went to moderately crispy on the grill. I had about the last third of a small can of chipotles in adobo, so in they went. I combined the puree with a large can of chopped tomatoes, two cans of dark red kidney beans, a little oregano, cinnamon, salt and baking chocolate. I simmered that quite a while so that it wouldn't have to simmer much once the meat came off the grill and went in.
For not having had any sugar in a rub, the chuck developed an amazing, very dark bark.
I was just a bit worried that it had dried out on me, as I haven't smoked a chuckie all the way before. But it was fine:
So I pulled about two thirds of the roast. (Stay tuned for what the other third goes into on Friday or Saturday).
Into the pot it went, and after 20 or 30 minutes of simmering, I hit it with some pulverized Tostitos and Fritos. (Frito chili pie for me tomorrow! My wife refuses to participate in that Oklahoma tradition.) I also added the juice and zest of a lime. The bark softened up with simmering and everything was incredibly tender.
At least for our tastes, my wife and I both think this was pretty much the best chili I've made. We had it tonight just topped with a little cheese and with Alex Guarnaschelli's skillet cornbread. Yum.
The fire almost got away from me very early so I went ahead and opened up the Kamado to throw in some poblano peppers, a jalapeno and an onion. After closing I got the top vent adjusted properly and the temp held really well. I pulled the veggies after an hour and a half.
I prefer the ease of Kenji's method of blooming the dry chiles in a hot skillet and then popping them into boiling broth to hydrate before putting into the blender. I went with two anchos, two guajillos, a mulato and a pasilla. I also put one of my smoked poblanos in the broth because it was a bit too small and went to moderately crispy on the grill. I had about the last third of a small can of chipotles in adobo, so in they went. I combined the puree with a large can of chopped tomatoes, two cans of dark red kidney beans, a little oregano, cinnamon, salt and baking chocolate. I simmered that quite a while so that it wouldn't have to simmer much once the meat came off the grill and went in.
For not having had any sugar in a rub, the chuck developed an amazing, very dark bark.
I was just a bit worried that it had dried out on me, as I haven't smoked a chuckie all the way before. But it was fine:
So I pulled about two thirds of the roast. (Stay tuned for what the other third goes into on Friday or Saturday).
Into the pot it went, and after 20 or 30 minutes of simmering, I hit it with some pulverized Tostitos and Fritos. (Frito chili pie for me tomorrow! My wife refuses to participate in that Oklahoma tradition.) I also added the juice and zest of a lime. The bark softened up with simmering and everything was incredibly tender.
At least for our tastes, my wife and I both think this was pretty much the best chili I've made. We had it tonight just topped with a little cheese and with Alex Guarnaschelli's skillet cornbread. Yum.
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