Pork Bourbon chili...

[Jeff G.]

Just tried making a new chili. While my standard steak/scotch chili is hard to beat. I wanted something new.

Starting with smoke cured fat back bacon. Dice it up and fry to get the grease and flavor. Dice up a nice piece of pork loin. Remove the bacon from skillet and add the loin to the bacon fat. When that is about 1/2 cooked, add your diced onion and peppers in equal amounts. I use a combination of fresh chili peppers from hot to mild. To that add 4 or 5 Chipolte peppers with adobe sauce, finely chopped(add all the sauce from the can), a little Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste--but it takes enough to tint the color of the mixture.

When all that is getting about done, add 3 oz of Bourbon. turn down the heat and allow that to simmer for at least 10 minutes.

In your pot add diced tomatoes(canned is fine). Your chili beans(optional if you don't like beans) then add the meat/onion/peppers AND the sauce in the skillet to the pot. Add tomato juice until its just a really chunky soup then add another 3 oz bourbon. In a bowl mix up about 3 tablespoons jiffy corn muffin mix with water to make a thick paste. Stir that into the chili. Let that simmer for at least one hour, preferably longer.

Yummy...

[mozilla]

Jeff,

What kind of bourbon and fresh peppers are you useing?

[Jeff G.]

I am using a mix of peppers, Serrano's, poblanos, wax, New Mexico, Jalapeño, and a couple of thai. Plus the Chipolte in Adobe(smoked jalapeño)

I vary the amounts of each to tailor the heat--kind of by eye and nose as I dice them. Some times I want it hot, sometimes just medium. By using the mild peppers you still get flavor without the heat. The thai and serranos get hot pretty quick. I like a lot of peppers in the mix. You should see the peppers in the chili!

I used Jim Beam Black label.. It's what was in the kitchen.

[mozilla]

I am surprised at the number of peppers available in the heart of Indiana. I wonder how an aged or real young bourbon would affect the final flavor? Maybe even a corn whisky?

[Jeff G.]

I am surprised at the number of peppers available in the heart of Indiana. I wonder how an aged or real young bourbon would affect the final flavor? Maybe even a corn whisky?

The flavor is there from the bourbon, but not strong. I think aging helps. The smoky/wood flavors is what really remains after it cooks down.

[craigthom]

That's a nice looking recipe.

What's the reason for using the Jiffy mix rather than straight corn meal or masa?

[Jeff G.]

That's a nice looking recipe.

What's the reason for using the Jiffy mix rather than straight corn meal or masa?

it's what I had on hand.....

[craigthom]

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure.

If you are in Kentucky in the future and want to add more bourbon country content, there's a mill not far from Frankfort that grinds their own. You can find some of the Weisenberger products in area grocery stories, but mostly the mixes. I had to visit the mill to buy their grits.

Their corn meal is whole grain, so I keep it in the freezer.

[Lionhoo]

Jeff the recipe for your pork chili sounds great! I'll have to give it a try when (or I should say IF) the weather cools down here in VA.

Thanks! Cheers,

Marshall