Steakhouse Chili Recipe
blue cheese crumbles, carrot, asparagus, craisin, bacon, marcona almond, cherry tomato, green goddess dressing
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Ingredients
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Chili Base
Vegetable & Garnish Mix-ins
Toppings & Dressing
Method
Chili Base
- 1
Render bacon and aromatics
In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until fat renders and pieces are crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer half the bacon to a bowl for garnish; leave remaining bacon fat in the pot.
- 2
- 3
Brown meats
Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and sear, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink and nicely browned, about 6–8 minutes. If using cubed sirloin, push ground beef to the side and sear the sirloin cubes until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes, then combine with ground beef.
- 4
Build chili flavors
Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flavor. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; stir to coat the meat and vegetables for 1 minute.
- 5
Simmer
Add fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices, beef stock, and beer (or additional stock). Add the drained kidney and black beans and the bay leaf. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chili thickens and flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaf.
Vegetable & Garnish Mix-ins
- 6
Prepare asparagus
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus pieces and blanch 1 minute until bright green and slightly tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain and set aside.
- 7
Finish chili with mix-ins
Stir the blanched asparagus, halved cherry tomatoes, matchstick carrots (reserved amount), craisins, and chopped Marcona almonds into the chili during the last 5 minutes of simmering so they warm but retain texture. Reserve the remaining crisp bacon bits for topping.
Toppings & Serving
- 8
Assemble bowls
Ladle chili into shallow bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with blue cheese crumbles, the reserved crisp bacon pieces, additional chopped Marcona almonds if desired, and a few craisins for a sweet note.
- 9
Dress and finish
Drizzle roughly 1–2 tablespoons of green goddess dressing over each serving (about 1 tablespoon if you prefer less). Garnish with snipped chives and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the chili for brightness.
- 10
Notes
If preparing ahead, refrigerate chili and reheat gently on the stove, then add the asparagus, tomatoes, and nuts right before serving to preserve texture. The green goddess adds a creamy herb brightness that contrasts with the blue cheese and bacon — adjust amounts to taste.
