Superbowl Chili

For some reason, Superbowl Sundays seem like a great time for Tex-Mex food. Maybe it’s all the beer commercials that put us in the mood for nachos, tacos or a bit pot of chili. This year I couldn’t decide if I wanted to simply make some chili or if I was more in the mood for pulled pork. Either seemed like a delicious option for the half-time meal.

My go-to chili recipes, whether the traditional red chili or a green (Chile Verde), are usually based on ground meat. I prefer either all ground pork or a mixture of ground pork-beef-& veal for the best flavor. Although you can use a pre-packaged chili seasoning mix (like Carroll Shelby’s delicious mix available at LaBonne’s), it’s easy to make your own.*

There was still the dilemma of whether to make chili or pulled pork – but wait! Why not both? I could slowly roast a pork shoulder, shred it as I would for a pulled pork sandwich and use the shredded pork as the basis for my chili. Perfect! The best of both worlds.

Start cooking your pork shoulder early in the morning. Long slow cooking is the secret for succulent meat. You’ll use chili spices for a dry rub then let the pork slowly roast in the oven all day – first covered with foil, then uncovered to let it brown. You’ll mix together two batches of spices – one as a dry rub for roasting the pork then another batch of many of the same spices to spice up your chili.

Once you shred your fully-cooked meat, add the rest of the ingredients, let them simmer for a short while and your chili is ready for half-time!

SUPERBOWL CHILI

3 pound boneless pork shoulder (or 6-7 pound bone-in pork shoulder)
1 can or bottle of beer

For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons chili powder (or make your own*)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder

For the chili:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons chili powder*
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes (crushed by hand)
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 large can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups of stock (chicken, beef or vegetable) or water

Sour cream, shredded cheese and lime wedges, for serving

Extra equipment:
9x13 roasting pan
Large pot for making chili

ROAST THE PORK - Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dry rub, mixing well.

Coat the pork all over with the dry rub. Pour the beer into the pan. Place the pork fat-side-up in a 9x13x2 pan and roast, covered with foil, for 6 hours. Check periodically to be certain that any liquid rendered fat is not overflowing the pan.

Uncover and roast for an additional 3 hours to let it brown.

The fat on the pork will melt into a delicious sauce. Reserve this to possibly add to your chili. Shred the pork with two large forks. You’ll use about 2 pounds of shredded pork for the chili. Save the extra for pulled pork sandwiches, or double the chili recipe if you have enough pork.

MAKE THE CHILI - In a large stock pot, sauté the onion in a little olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for 2 minutes.

Add the 2 pounds of shredded pork, chili powder, cumin and oregano, peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well to combine.

Add the drained beans and stock, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20- 30 minutes on low heat. If the chili seems a bit dry, add some reserved drippings from the pork roast.

Serve with the topping of your choice and some corn chips on the side.

• Don’t use packets of pre-made chili seasoning as many have additives, including a high dose of sodium and chemicals. If you don’t have any “chili powder” on hand, it’s easy to make your own blend by combining: 1 teaspoon each of paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano; and 2 teaspoons each of ground cumin and garlic powder. Store any extra in an airtight container. If you use your own blend you can omit the extra cumin and oregano in the chili portion of my recipe.