10/23/2026
Go ahead and argue about the beans. I’m putting bourbon in mine and smoking meat over it. 🥃🔥
INGREDIENTS
For the meat:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb breakfast sausage
• About 2 tbsp Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
For the chili:
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 serrano pepper, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup bourbon
• ¼ cup real maple syrup
• 1 packet Williams Chili Seasoning, 1 oz
• 2 cans Brooks Hot Chili Beans, 15.5 oz each, with liquid
• 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes, 14.5 oz each, with liquid
• 1 can tomato paste, 6 oz
LET’S COOK
1. Heat your smoker to 225°F. Mix the beef and sausage just until combined, shape into a squat loaf, and coat the outside with Rub Yer Meat. Refrigerate while you build the chili.
2. Reserve a few tablespoons of liquid from the tomatoes. Add it to a Dutch oven with the onion and serrano. Cook over medium heat until softened, adding more tomato liquid if needed. Add the garlic for the last 30–60 seconds.
3. Move the pot off the burner, add the bourbon, then return to the heat. Simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili seasoning, maple syrup, tomatoes, and beans—including all remaining canned liquid. Bring to a simmer.
4. Put the uncovered pot in the smoker. Set the loaf on a sturdy, oven-safe rack directly above it. Smoke at 225°F until the center of the meat reaches 165°F, roughly 2–3 hours. Stir the chili periodically.
5. Break up the cooked loaf into the chili, seasoned crust and all. Raise the smoker to 250°F. Stir well and check that the chili itself reaches 165°F before tasting.
6. Cook another 1–2 hours to your preferred thickness, stirring every 30–45 minutes. Cover once it has enough smoke and has thickened to your liking. Times are estimates—let temperature and consistency guide you.
Anybody still complaining about the beans can make their own pot.
