Over The Top (OTT) Beef Chilli

Step 1

Place the minced beef in a large bowl. Add 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder, then mix well. Shape into one large patty. Season the cubed beef with ProQ Beefy Rub, or salt and pepper.

Step 2

Light your BBQ. If you’re using a ProQ, you’ll be cooking the chilli sauce in a cast iron Dutch oven or casserole on the first stacker and placing the meat on the second stacker directly above the pot, so all those lovely juices drip down into the sauce. If you’re using a kettle grill, place the pot below the cooking grate and keep the fire to one side, positioning the meat above the pot and away from the direct heat for indirect cooking.

Step 3

Heat 4 Tbsp lard or oil in a cast-iron pan which has been placed on your first stacker grill over the hot coals.  Sauté the onions for 1–2 minutes, then the green and red peppers and jalapeño chilli and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and after a minute or two, tip all the spices into the pot. Cook until fragrant, ensuring that they don’t burn. Add the cocoa powder, tomato paste and cans of tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.

If you’ve made your sauce on a gas hob, then this is the time to place the pan in the centre of your BBQ grill.

Step 4

Arrange your meat patty in the centre of the grill, directly above the pot of sauce, with the cubed beef spread around it so the meat juices can drip into the sauce below. Add a wood chunk or two to the coals for a delicious smoky flavour, then close the BBQ lid and cook for 2–2½ hours. Remove the top stacker with the meat and lift the beef patty into the sauce, leaving the chunks on the grill. Break the patty up with a spatula and stir it through. Add a generous splash of beer and a little water, or beef stock if you prefer, and mix well to combine. If you’d like to add a can of kidney beans, now’s the time.

Step 5

Replace the top stacker with the beef chunks, arranging them above the pot so the juices continue to drip into the sauce below. Close the BBQ lid and cook for a further 1-2 hours or until the beef reaches an internal temperature of between 165-175°F.  Chop or shred your chunks, then stir into the sauce.

Step 6

Cover the pot with its lid, close the BBQ and cook for another hour or so, topping up the coals as needed.

Serve with a choice of your favourite toppings and some rice; sour cream, tortilla chips, salsa, jalapeños, cheese, guacamole.

Tips:
Shaping your minced beef into a flatter patty allows it to absorb more smoky flavour
The texture of your chilli will be better if you don’t chop or crumble your meat too finely.
If you choose, you can add a can of kidney beans to the sauce along with the smoked beef.
This is a great way to use up leftover smoked brisket! Simply chop it up and add it to the sauce along with the smoked beef patty. Leave out the chuck, brisket or short rib listed in the recipe, and skip STEP 5.