Having traveled to many places throughout the United States I have to say that the Desert Southwest is one of my favorite areas. From extreme Southern California to Nevada and on into Arizona I have met some really nice people and ate some really great food, though some of it was a bit “hot” for this Northener. With every stop I made I found that every area had its own signature style of chili. Even then, everyone had their own take on this dish. What follows here is my version, combining what I learned in Arizona with a great New England beer, namely Long Trail Double Bag Ale.
I spent five days exploring the high desert region around Williams, Arizona. It was hot and dry and I needed a cold beer so I stopped in at South Rim’s Wine and Beer Garage. I purposely went to South Rim’s because it was away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Route 66 and its souvenir shops and vacationers. All I wanted was a good meal and a cold beer. I am so glad that I found this place because it is cool (is that even a term anymore?). You have to love a place that has a fully restored 1970 GTO in the dining area. While South Rim’s doesn’t brew their own beer, they do feature the beers from Arizona brewers. Though I tasted many of the offered beers, the one that stood out for me was Sweet Devil Stout, which is brewed by College Street Brewery. Not only was this stout great to drink, I began thinking about using it in a potential chili recipe. Unfortunately, this beer is only available in Arizona and Nevada and it would have been a logistical nightmare to bring home. That is the only reason I didn’t use it in my recipe for chili.
It is only logical for Arizona and other areas of the Southwest to influence my chili. It was here that the Native people who called this area home first domesticated the wild chili (pepper). To find out more about these people and to learn how they did things, I visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum located in Tucson, Arizona. It was here that I learned that once the wild chili was domesticated, the people were able to develop other varieties of peppers, some milder; some hotter. It was from these chilies that we get both Bell and Jalapeno peppers.
Walking the trails here at the museum is a must for anyone interested in wildlife, cooking, history or all of the above, which I am. Both the Prickly Pear and the Saguaro cactus were bearing fruit, something that the locals use in their cooking. There were even wild chilies growing. Then there is the agave, which can be eaten or made into tequila. I learned that there is food in the desert if you know what to look for and where to look for it.
The wonderful thing about chili is that there is no wrong way to make it. Some people like it real hot and some people like it mild. Then there are those people who lie somewhere in between. Because I wanted to keep that “western” flair, I went with ground bison as opposed to ground beef. I also wanted to use as many fresh ingredients as I could. I used tomatoes from my own garden instead of canned tomatoes (please use canned if that is what you have) and I used Jalapeno and Bell peppers fresh out of my neighbor’s garden. The bison meat came from Yankee Farmer’s Market located in Warner, New Hampshire, which is only about an hour from my home. The bison here are free ranging as well as being steroid and antibiotic free. As I couldn’t use the College Street beer, I opted for Double Bag Ale put out by Long Trail Brewery which is one of Vermont’s finest breweries and is located in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground bison (feel free to substitute ground beef or venison)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 22 oz. bottle of Long Trail Double Bag Ale
- 2 cups dried beans
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Joe’s Stuff Seasoning Blend
- 2 Tbsp. of chili powder
- 1Tsp. paprika
- 2 large Jalapeno peppers, chopped (I left the seeds in to add some extra heat)
- 1 Green Bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Cups of fresh tomatoes (substitute 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes if you prefer)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place beans in a medium pot, cover with water and parboil for about 45 minutes or until soft.
- While beans are cooking, put vegetable oil in a large pot add meat and brown over medium heat. Once browned add onion and garlic to the pot with the meat and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add bell pepper and celery and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add all spices to the large pot and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and beer. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes.
- Add beans and tomato paste, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Allow to sit for about 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Note: Chili is one of those dishes that is best the second or even the third time around. I say to allow it to sit for 15 minutes because it gives the spices and peppers time to merge together. The longer it sits, the better (and hotter) it gets.
Yankee Farmer’s Market
Long Trail Brewing Company
By Dana Benner