Big-Ass Pot of Chili

Big-Ass Pot of Chili

Adapted from Steve Conn and Colerain Firefighters Local 3915’s “Major Cojone’s Chili.” I guess it makes sense that the original recipe would come from a fire house 🙂 I doubled the Major’s recipe, made some tweaks to the heat source, and added some sweet secret ingredients.

Serves: 20+

Ingredients:
2 pounds applewood-smoked bacon, diced into 1 inch squares
4 pounds spicy Italian pork sausage, removed from casings
6 pounds ground beef
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3 red bell peppers, chopped
4 large onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, grated
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cans (28 oz each) chili beans
6 lb 10 oz crushed tomatoes
6 lb 10 oz tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons red chili powder
2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce
2 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate
1 parmesan rind

Preparation:
1. In a large pan, cook bacon until crispy; drain and add to a 3-gallon pot.

2. Drain off the bacon grease. Brown the sausage in the same pan; drain and add to the pot.

3. Drain off the fat from the pan again. Brown the ground beef; drain and add to the pot with the other meats.

4. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a bubble, stirring periodically. Then, lower heat and simmer on low for at least 6 hours.

5. Serve with chili toppings if you’d like (shredded cheese, sour cream, green onion or chives), Frito scoops, quesadillas, or bread bowl.