This Chili has a robustly smoky flavor derived from the smoked tenderloin. Using dark beer as the steam marinade and as an ingredient in the chili adds another delicious dimension to this gourmet chili recipe. Serves as an entrée, as a sauce for enchiladas and tamales or as a topping for nachos.
Ingredients
- 6 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat
- 4 mesquite wood chunks (use pecan or oak as a substitute)
- 6 cups dark beer for a water pan
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 ½ large onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons pure chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced parsley
- 3 teaspoons minced oregano
- 10 large ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (if using canned broth, use only No MSG type)
- 1 cup dark beer for chili
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese for garnish
Slice raw tenderloin into 1 ½ inch thick slices. Use an ice pick or long pronged fork to poke holes throughout the tenderloin slices so aromatic smoke and steam marinade can easily penetrate the meat. Place wood chunks on charcoal or lava rocks and pour beer into the water pan. Place tenderloin slices in smoker basket and set on lower level grill. Smoke cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour (electric/gas smoker) or 1 to 1 ½ hours (charcoal smoker). The meat should be medium-rare doneness. The tenderloin will be cooked further with the chili mixture, so be careful not to overcook it in the smoker. Use a meat thermometer to test doneness.
Remove tenderloin from the smoker. As soon as the meat is cool enough to handle, chop smoked tenderloin into tiny pieces. Heat oil over medium heat in a large stewpan. Add smoked tenderloin pieces, onion, and garlic, and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except salt and cheese and bring to a full boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hour until thickened, stirring frequently. Salt to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish liberally with cheese.
Serves 10