Firehouse Chili

Since today is Friday we wanted to bring you something hot and spicy for the upcoming weekend.  For day 10 of Soup Month 2014 we made a hot and spicy batch of Firehouse Chili.  This is the perfect chili to serve guests for your next football weekend but be warned, it is spicy!!  Hence the very appropriate name, Firehouse Chili.

We served this chili two ways, on its own with a dollop of sour cream and some Fritos, which taste fabulous with the chili, and the kids scooped their chili over cooked spaghetti with a sprinkle of grated cheddar on top.  Both versions were spicy and yummy and the kids gave this chili 3 thumbs up.

As is usually the case, a good batch of chili does take some extra time to prepare, but that extra time is well worth the wait once you taste the chili.  This recipe uses cubes of chuck roast, which gives the chili a hearty, meaty base. The meat is browned and slow cooked with a mixture of beef stock and tomato sauce, then the spices are added at two different points in the cooking process.  This allows the first round of spices to absorb into the meat and the second round brightens the flavor and brings all of the spices together.

This is a great bowl of chili and we will definitely be making it for Super Bowl Sunday.  Enjoy!!

2 TB  Minced Garlic
1 TB  Olive Oil
2 lbs  Chuck Roast, diced into 1-inch cubes
2-1/2 cups  Beef Stock
8 oz   Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

1 TB  Paprika
1 TB  Chili Powder
1 TB  Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp  Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp  Ground Black Pepper

1 TB  Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 tsp  Cumin
2 tsp  Onion Powder
1 small  Onion, diced
1 can  Pinto Beans, drained

Fritos or Corn Chips, for scooping
Sour Cream and Grated Cheddar for Garnish, optional
Cooked Spaghetti, optional

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil until tender.  Turn heat to high and add the beef to the pan, stirring occasionally until browned.  Add the beef stock and tomato sauce to the pan and stir.  Lower heat to medium, cover and cook at a low boil for 10 minutes.

Add the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper to the pot, stir to combine then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

After the chili has cooked for an hour, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir and cook for an additional 30 - 45 minutes over low heat, until the meat is fork tender.

This is a spicy chili an