A ladle of smoked beef and bean chili lifted above the pot on the pellet grill

BEEF

Over-the-Top Smoked Chili

A mix of dry-aged ground beef and ground chuck smokes on a rack above the chili, building a bark before being broken into the pot. Beans and tomatoes make up the base. Espresso, dark chocolate and a little maple syrup go in for the last hour, with cheese, white onion and jalapeños added at the table.

Smoker Temp225°F

Cook Time8 Hrs

YIELD1 Pot

Cooking Notes

Smoke in three stages: 3 hours with the beef on the rack, 4 hours with the beef mixed into the chili, then 1 hour after adding the espresso, chocolate and maple syrup. The 8 hours covers time on the smoker; sautéing and assembly come before that.

1. Sauté the Vegetables

Add beef tallow to the cooking pot. Sauté the chopped onions and peppers, then add the garlic and stir together.

Sautéing chopped onions, peppers and garlic in beef tallow

2. Build the Chili Base

Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes and beans. Pour in a little W sauce and the beef broth. Add the seasoning and give the base a thorough stir.

3. Smoke the Beef Above the Pot

Heat the Z Grills pellet grill to 225°F. Combine 1 lb dry-aged ground beef with 2 lb ground chuck. Season with Stew’s BBQ Sweet & Smoky Rub and shape the meat into a ball. Place it on a wire rack directly over the chili pot and smoke for 3 hours.

Ground beef smoking on a wire rack above the chili pot

4. Break the Beef into the Chili

After the first 3 hours, take the pot and rack off the smoker. Break the beef into pieces directly over the pot, letting it fall into the chili. Stir the meat through the base, then return the pot to the smoker for another 4 hours.

Returning the mixed chili to the Z Grills pellet grill

5. Add Espresso, Chocolate and Maple

After 7 hours on the smoker, add the espresso barbecue rub or espresso powder. Break 3 squares of Ghirardelli dark chocolate into smaller pieces, add them to the pot and stir. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to balance the bitterness of the chocolate and espresso, then stir again.