Chili on the Grill

Date January 30, 2008

Here’s my latest grilling adventure.

This Friday at church, we’re having our annual ‘Chili Cook-off.’ I have wanted to do this recipe for a while, and this year I finally got the chance. We happened to have a couple pork chops in the freezer as well as a piece of beef that claimed to be some sort of sirloin.

Due to a ‘tropical storm’ that came though yesterday, the temperature was unseasonable warm. I took the opportunity to do the grilling portion of this recipe.

To protect my fire from the strong winds, I set up the grill in our carport. While the coals lit, I busied myself with coring the 3 pounds of tomatoes (I substituted Roma for Plum). Grilling tomatoes turned out to be less interesting than I had imagined. The onions and celery also marked up nicely, but were tricky to chop after being partially cooked. I left out the jalapeño and added a can of diced chili peppers to the sauce instead. Since grilling is all about changing things up as you go to fit your personal taste, I added some hickory chips before grilling the meat.
The Weber kept its temperature (350°-450°F) in spite of the fierce winds and driving rain. Everything looked and smelled great. To achieve the freshed taste possible, I will assemble all the ingredients tomorrow and hope that the reheat in the Crockpot on Friday will deliver a stunning performance.I’ll let you know how it goes.


Weber Recipes

Chili on the Grill

From: Weber’s Big Book of Grilling

For incredible chili, use pure chile powder – not the “chili powder” (a blend of ground chiles, garlic, oregano, and other spices) that you find in most spice racks. The pure stuff is simply ground ancho chiles (dried poblanos).

3   pounds plum tomatoes, cores removed
 
3   stalks celery
2   medium yellow onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
    Extra-virgin olive oil
1   medium jalapeño pepper, stem removed
 
2   tablespoons pure chile powder, divided
2   teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2   teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
1   pound top sirloin steak, about 3/4 inch thick
3   boneless pork loin chops, about 5 ounces each and 3/4 inch thick
 
2   teaspoons ground cumin
2   teaspoons dried oregano
2   teaspoons minced garlic
1/4   teaspoon cayenne
1   bottle (12 ounces) ale
1   cup beef broth
1   can (14 ounces) pinto beans
 
1   cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1   cup sour cream

Grill the tomatoes over Direct Medium heat until the skins are lightly charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the tomatoes to a food processor and purée (in batches, if necessary), then pour into a large saucepan.
Brush or spray the celery and onion slices with the olive oil. Grill the celery, onions, and jalapeño over Direct Medium heat until well marked, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board. Chop the celery and onions into 1/4-inch pieces. Mince the jalapeño. Add the vegetables to the tomato purée.

In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the chile powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Season both sides of the steak and the chops with the spices. Brush or spray the meat with the oil and grill over Direct Medium heat for about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, then add to the tomato mixture.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon chile powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, oregano, garlic, cayenne, ale, and broth to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat cubes are very tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add the pinto beans and simmer for 15 minutes more.

Serve warm in individual bowls and top with the cheese and sour cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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2 Responses to “Chili on the Grill”

  1. Michael said:

    January 30th, 2008 at 10:29 am

    Wow! Make sure you take a picture of your final version.

    Did you have any trouble with the smoke coming into the house from the carport? I’ve told Carolyn that is one of the reasons I don’t want to cover our patio.

  2. Paul said:

    January 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am

    We got a little smoke while the coals were lighting but not during the grilling process. (of course we had the front and back doors open because the pellet stove was baking us out at 78° due to the wild weather.)

    I don’t know if it will be all that photogenic, but I’ll try to get a shot.

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