Elevate your Chili! Take advantage of the Primo’s versatility by smoking the meat first before it simmers away in a dutch oven with the rest of the ingredients. This creates an incredible “smokehouse” flavor you can’t achieve in a dutch oven or slow cooker alone.
Pictured here are the basic ingredients- feel free to use whatever combination of beans you choose.
Start by mixing a rub for the beef:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons chipolte powder
- 2 tablespoons coriander
- 2 tablespoons garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon cumin
Assemble the rest of the ingredients
- 4 to 6 lbs untrimmed beef chuck
- 1lb chorizo
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 29 oz can red beans, drained & rinsed
- 29 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 29 oz can hominy
- 2 29 oz cans of tomatoes (whole peeled or diced)
- 12 oz beer
Trim the beef as shown into roughly similar sized pieces. You will have a lot of meat and fat leftover-you can see the reserve pile in the bowl- this is perfect for making your own hamburgers.
Prepare the Primo for smoking. We would recommend using a couple cups of soaked apple, hickory or mesquite wood. Target a smoking temp of 225 – 250 or so. Rub well and smoke the beef for two hours. (you will have extra rub reserved) The chorizo will only need about an hour. Slice it on the bias into 1/4 thick pieces. Alternatively you can choose not to smoke the sausage- remove it from its casing and separate into bite size pieces to cook with the onions and garlic below. Once the meat is on the grill you can start to put together the chili.
You can choose to cook the chili a number of ways- a dutch oven on the Primo or a slow cooker would be recommended- you’ll need at least a 5 qt vessel. Whichever vessel you choose start by cooking the onions and garlic with a touch of olive oil or with the uncased chorizo. After 5 or 10 minutes add the remaining ingredients except the beef. We highly recommend using a microplaner tool to zest the oranges. We also would add a 1/4 cup of the reserved rub. Start simmering your chili- if using a dutch oven – cover and put it on the Primo- add the beef after 90 minutes or so (assuming it took you about 30 minutes to assemble the chili) Increase the temp slighlty to 250 to 275 and cook for 4- 6 hours, stirring occasionally. If using a slow cooker set it on high and cook for 4-6 hours (or low for 8), adding the beef 90 minutes in. The chili is done when the beef is “fall apart tender.”
As you get close to serving time, prepare your toppings! We recommend limes, scallions, cilantro, sharp cheddar, sour cream, and freshly crisped/salted corn tortilla strips (just slice corn tortillas and pan crisp in butter/oil/salt) Not pictured : your favorite hot sauce to adjust heat level to your liking.
Assemble the chili in this order from the bottom: chili, cheese, corn strips, sour cream, cilantro, scallions, lime, and then hot sauce. Enjoy!
Love the photos! Get the smoker a smokin’ for Super Bowl Sunday!