Percy Street Barbeque’s Root Beer Chili

Chef Erin O’Shea’s delicious root beer chili is the perfect transitional meal in this uncertain weather–a hint of our favorite summer beverage with enough heat to warm up cold bones after an April shower.

Ingredients: 
2 T vegetable oil
8 lb beef brisket lean or beef tips for stews
2cups root beer
2cups brooklyn brown ale
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
2 28oz. cans of whole roma tomatoes
2 yellow onions, diced
3-4 carrots sliced in rounds
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
5t cumin
4t coriander
5t dark chile powder
1/2 t cayenne
1t ground star anise
1/4 t ground clove
1/4 t ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*In a large soup pot, add a touch of vegetable oil and brown the chili meat. Once it is browned remove from the pot and reserve for later. Do not put too much in the pot at once or it will not brown. Brown the meat off in batches
* Once all the meat is browned and removed from the pot, add the carrots and onions to sweat. Season with salt and pepper as you go.
* When the onions are almost translucent, add the garlic and sweat for a couple minutes
* Add all the dry spices to the pot and let them cook out for a few moments until you start to get their aroma
* Add the browned meat back to the pot and stir to coat with the spices
* Add the tomatoes to the pot being sure to break up any whole tomatoes with a gentle squeeze
*Add the cooking liquids- root beer, beer and chicken stock
* Bring to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for at least one hour- tasting as you go – until the meat is tender, and the consistency is to your liking.

If using pork butt:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch cubes. In a Dutch oven cook meat, half at a time, in hot lard over medium high heat, stirring to brown meat evenly. Remove meat from Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven; cook until lightly browned and tender. Return all of themeat to Dutch oven.
2. Add the water, orange peel, orange juice, thyme, salt, oregano, crushed red pepper, and bay leaves to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Remove lid increase heat so mixture boils gently. Cook, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated, gently stirring occasionally. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a serving bowl. Makes 12 (1/2 cup) servings.