Note: I usually like to use the smoker to cook the brisket, but for those of you who don’t have a smoker, give this a go! For those who have a smoker, you know what to do.
Brisket:
• 4 pounds of brisket
• 2 cans of stout beer (I love the stout from Edmonton’s SeaChange Brewing Co.)
• Large can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Ground salt and pepper to your liking
Chili:
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 small diced yellow onions
• 6 minced cloves of garlic, or add more if you love garlic!
• 2 diced jalapenos (remove the seeds, or leave them in if you like some extra heat)
• 1 seeded and diced poblano pepper (if you can’t find this, add another jalapeno)
• 2 diced chipotle peppers
• 1 seeded and diced red pepper
• 1 seeded and diced green pepper
• 2 cans of strained and rinsed black beans
• 2 cans of strained and rinsed kidney beans
• 2 large cans of whole plum tomatoes and juice
• 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 large cans of chopped tomatoes and juice
• ½ cup of chili powder (or more if you like it stronger)
• 1/3 cup of cumin or to taste
• ¼ cup of dry oregano or to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon or to taste (this one adds a little something extra)
• 2 ounces of dark chocolate or to taste (no, chocolate in chili is not weird)!
• Course ground salt and pepper to taste
• Small can of tomato paste as needed and add as needed
Instructions:
1. Season the brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. Next, add the olive oil to a very large sauté
pan on high heat and brown the brisket on all sides.
2. Once the brisket is caramelized, add it to a slow cooker along with stout beer, can of chopped
tomatoes and salt and pepper, and cook on high heat for 8 hours.
3. After the brisket has cooked for 4 hours, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a very large pot on
medium-high heat. Next, add in the onions and garlic and caramelize. Once the onions and garlic are
brown, add in the peppers and cook for 10 minutes on high heat.
4. Add in the beans, tomatoes, and seasonings (except the chocolate) and stew on low heat until
the brisket is finished cooking.
5. Once the brisket is done, pull it apart using two forks so that it is completely shredded. Add the
entire pot of brisket including the beer and tomatoes to the pot of chili.
6. Thicken with tomato paste if need be. Finish by stirring in chocolate and seasoning with salt and
pepper.
