Smoked rib and sausage chili is bean-free, tomato-less, thick and meaty. Yes, I make other chilis for bean lovers and even spaghetti fans, but this one is for me and others of a like mind. Can I get an amen from anyone in Texas?
Many use chuck roast, but that doesn’t do it for me. I prefer short-rib because it’s tender and full of fatty goodness that translates to wonderful taste in the chili bowl. Throw in some sausage and use this chili pepper mix made with ancho, guajillo, New Mexican and chipotle chilies for an out of this world experience.
Let’s Make Smoked Rib and Sausage Chili!
The first step is smoking the meats with hickory just long enough to absorb that smoky flavor.
De-stem and seed the ancho, guajillo and New Mexican chilies, then toast them for 30-45 seconds on both sides, then submerge them in hot water and let them soak for a half hour.
While waiting, cube the rib meat and coin the sausage. Fry the bacon and set it aside. Sear the rib meat and sausage in the rendered bacon fat, then remove the meat to drain the on paper towels.
Cook the onions in the remaining fat with the garlic and then pour in the beer to deglaze the pot with a spatula. Add the coffee and water with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Chop the bacon and place it, the sausage and rib meat in the pot. Stir and let it cook on low simmer.
When the chilies are soaked, drain them, cut them open, devein and remove any remaining seeds. Place them and the chipotle peppers in a blender with a cup of water and puree on high speed for a minute until they are completely pulverized.
Pour the chili pepper puree into the pot and stir to mix it in. Simmer the chili for three hours, stirring every 30 minutes and add a half cup of water each time to keep the meat covered
After 3 hours scoop out 1 cup of liquid into a heat proof bowl, add the blue corn masa, stir and mix it well with a fork and pour it back into the pot and stir until the chili thickens.
Stir in the brown sugar and low simmer for 30 more minutes. Taste and make a final adjustment of salt and pepper. When it tastes right, turn off the heat, stir, cover and let it rest for 30 more minutes.
Serve with shredded cheddar, minced onion and saltine crackers. Print
Smoked Rib and Sausage Chili
A Meaty Short-Rib and Sausage Chili
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 240
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ancho chilies – adds mild heat, sweetness and smoke
- 3 guajillo chilies – adds medium heat and fruit
- 2 New Mexican chilies – adds mild heat, earthy and fruity flavor
- 1 or (2 for more heat) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for smoky heat
- 4 pieces bacon
- 4 pounds short-rib – smoked and cubed into bite sized pieces
- 1 pound andouille sausage – smoked and coined into 1/4” pieces
- 1 large yellow onion – diced
- 5 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 cup fresh brewed coffee
- 10 cups water – divided
- 12 ounces amber lager beer
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt – more to taste
- 2 TBL light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup blue corn masa
- Finely shredded cheddar cheese – garnish
- Minced yellow onion – garnish
- Saltine crackers
Instructions
- Smoke the short rib and sausage with hickory at 200 degrees for 1-1/2 hours to absorb the smoke and flavor the meats. Set aside
- De-stem and shake out the seeds of the ancho, New Mexican and guajillo dried chilies. Toast them in a dry, non-stick skillet on low heat for 30-45 seconds per side. Be careful not to scorch them which will make them taste bitter
- Remove them from the skillet, place them in a bowl, cover with hot water and let them soak for a half hour. Weight them down with another bowl to keep them submerged
- While waiting, cube the short ribs into bite-size pieces and coin the sausage into 1/4″ pieces. Fry the bacon in a dutch oven on medium-low heat and when the fat is fully rendered, remove the lightly crisp bacon and reserve with the sausage and rib meats
- Sear the rib meat and sausage in batches in the bacon grease on medium heat, 1-2 minutes on both sides. Set the meats aside to drain on paper towels
- Add a tablespoon of butter, place the onion in the pot and cook them on low heat until clear, 2-3 minutes
- Add the garlic, stir and cook 1 minute, then pour in the beer and deglaze the pot with a spatula
- Pour in the coffee and 3 cups of water, then add and stir in the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Chop the bacon and place it, the rib and sausage meat in the pot. Stir briefly to mix and continue to cook on low heat
- Your chilies should be soft now. Drain, cut them open, de-vein and remove any remaining seeds. Rinse and place them in a blender with the chipotle chili pepper(s) and 1 cup of water. Blend until it is a smooth puree and add it to the chili pot and stir
- Raise the heat to bring it to a simmer for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to prevent sticking and adding a half cup of water each time you stir to keep the meats covered
- After 3 hours, scoop out 1 cup of liquid into a heat proof bowl and add the blue corn masa. Mix it well with a fork and then pour it back in the chili pot and stir until it thickens
- Stir in the brown sugar and low simmer 30 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne pepper one last time
- Turn off heat, stir, cover and let it rest another 30 minutes
- Serve with shredded cheddar, minced onion and saltine crackers