Men's Journal

In certain circles (many of them located in Texas), football and chili are sacrosanct: A team’s honor and the superiority of a recipe are defended with equal ferocity. We’ve tracked down three top chili recipes — and the beers to match.

 

by Claire Martin

 

Classic Beef Chili
Georgia Weller of Illinois has competed in 19 International Chili Society World Championships and is the current champ. She prefers a tri-tip cut of beef (a small triangular cut from the bottom of the sirloin) because “you can overcook it a little,” she says. She likes to pair it with a tall glass of milk. We, of course, prefer beer (see below).

4 tbsp California chile powder
3 tbsp Gebhardt chili powder
1 tbsp pasilla chile powder
1 tsp Chimayo chile powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
2-1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp salt
2 green chiles
15 oz beef broth
15 oz chicken broth
10 oz tomato puree
3 lbs tri-tip beef
Tabasco sauce

Combine all the chile powders with the cayenne, cumin, granulated garlic, onion powder, and salt. (The pasilla chile powder can be purchased at mexgrocer.com.) Set aside four tablespoons; divide the rest into two parts and set aside. Blend the green chiles and set aside. In a pot, combine the broths and tomato puree with one of the halved portions of spice mix. Cut the tri-tip into small chunks, brown in a skillet, drain, and add to the pot. Cook for 90 minutes. Add the other halved portion of spice mixture, as well as the green chiles. Simmer for about an hour. Add the final four tablespoons of spice mixture and cook about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Finally, add salt and Tabasco to taste.

 

Healthy Turkey Chili
Randy Hoffman, owner of Los Angeles restaurant Chili My Soul, serves 12 to 16 types of chili every day from his repertoire of 40. Spice is one of Hoffman’s specialties (his Demon Chili burns with six of the hottest peppers in the world); healthiness is another (turkey and veggie chilis are prominent on his menu). This PoblanoTurkey Chili (rated four out of 10 on Hoffman’s spice scale) is one of his most popular.

2 large yellow onions
Vegetable oil
3 lbs white meat ground turkey
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
Chicken stock or water to cover
1 tbsp cumin
4 tbsp ground pasilla chile powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
One 28-oz can chopped tomatoes
Scallions
Cilantro
Sauté the onions in vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan until they are slightly softened. Add the turkey and poblano peppers and stir until the turkey is broken up and crumbly. Cover pan’s contents with defatted chicken stock or water and bring to a low boil. Add the cumin, the ground pasilla chile powder, and the minced garlic, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Add the can of tomatoes. Reduce the heat, partially cover with lid, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Skim any residual fat from surface, stir, and continue to cook for another eight to 10 minutes. Serve the chili topped with fresh chopped scallions and cilantro.

 

Gourmet Boar Chili
Marc Meyer, executive chef of New York’s Cookshop, chose chocolatey, aromatic chiles to go with the wild boar and added surprises like blackstrap molasses, coffee, beer, and pineapple juice

1/2 cup grapeseed oil
4 lbs wild boar shoulder, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
7 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup ancho chile powder
1/4 cup cumin
1 tsp chile de arbol
1 tbsp chile mulato
1 bottle dark beer
10-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup pineapple juice
4 bay leaves
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup brewed espresso

In a heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup grapeseed oil. Sear the boar over medium-high heat for five minutes; remove. Add another 1/4 cup grapeseed oil. Drop in diced onion and chopped garlic cloves. Sauté until soft. Return the meat to the pot and cook for a minute. Add ancho chile powder, cumin, chile de arbol (buy it at bulkpeppercorns.com), and chile mulato. Cook five minutes. Slosh in the beer and reduce for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the molasses and pineapple juice and simmer. Drop in the bay leaves and cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for two hours. Add salt and pepper to taste, finish off with cocoa powder and brewed espresso; cook for 20 minutes more and serve.

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A Beer for Every Bowl

by Ken Wells

Pilsner Urquell
For the tri-tip chili choose a refreshing, authentic pilsner that cuts through its spicy heart. Daniel Bradford, founder and editor of All About Beer magazine, is a big advocate of matching the beer with not just the food but also the occasion. For the game, he suggests offering up Pilsner Urquell. It’s clean, smooth, medium-bodied, and as well-made a European pilsner as you can find.

Dale’s Pale Ale
The Mexican pasilla chile powder in this turkey chili recipe imparts a spicy backbone and a deep sandstone hue. Here, you will want to meet spice with spice — which in the world of beer means choosing a beverage with plenty of hops. Dale’s Pale Ale, a wonderfully aromatic and full-bodied brew, is deliciously “hoppy” and boasts its own cult following among beer geeks.

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
The cocoa in this wild boar concoction lends complexity, so be sure to find a beer that stands up to such nuances. This Dogfish Head stout, with hints of chocolate and cognac and a massive body, is a good bet. But beware: At $9 a bottle and 18 percent alcohol, this beer must be savored or you’ll forget just how
delicious it was.