Texas Style Brisket Chili

 Ingredients

4 slices thick-cut bacon

3-4 lb. beef brisket, trimmed of large pieces of fat.

Kosher salt, pepper, onion powder – for liberally sprinkling on the meat while browning.

2 cups white onion, diced 

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

1 red  pepper, seeded and diced

2 chipotles peppers  in adobo sauce

4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin 

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½  teaspoon salt

1-quart beef broth

½ cup strong black coffee- use instant espresso powder to make ½ cup

28 oz. can chopped  tomatoes

Garnish: Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated. White onion, hoy sauce, and jalapenos.

Directions

For the brisket, clean and trim the brisket. You will only need 3-4 lbs. Cube the brisket into small ¼” cubes. 

In a large stockpot, cook 4 pieces of bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside until later.

Increase the heat to medium-high. In the bacon fat, brown the brisket cubes in 3 batches making sure not to crowd the pan. You want to develop as much browning on the cubes as possible and browning in 3 batches will ensure that moisture coming from the meat won’t crowd the pan and prohibit the browning process.

Season liberally with salt, pepper, and onion powder while browning to season the meat.

Remove the browned meat to a bowl before starting the next batch. You can add additional cooking oil if you need to. Cook all 3 batches and reserve.

In the same pot, add the diced white onion, and peppers, and stir in a pinch of salt. Cook down, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits and brown the onion. Reduce the heat if necessary to cook the vegetables until tender..

Add in all of the spices and stir into the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the pressed garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the seared meat back into the pan. Add the coffee, tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir well.

Stir well and crumble in the bacon. Place the lid back on the pot, ajar, and cook over low-medium (simmer gently) for 3 hours if you like the chili sauce or 5 hours if you like it thick. 

Serve topped with freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Frito chips.