Recipe: Award-Winning Chili with Southern Cornbread

Originally published in the Jan. 8, 2014, issue

 

Editor’s Note: This chili recipe comes to us from Department Inspector General Stewart Hicks. It won the Department’s Chili Cook-off for Charity event in December. The cornbread recipe was inspired by Wendy Thornton of Kathleen, Ga.

 

Ingredients:

For the chili:

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound beef sausage, diced

Two 15-ounce cans chili beans

15-ounce can spicy chili beans

Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

1 large yellow onion

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 green chili peppers

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon bacon bits

4 cubes beef bouillon

½ cup beer

¼ cup chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

 

For the cornbread:

2 cups self-rising buttermilk white cornmeal mix

1/3 cup self-rising flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1.25 cups buttermilk

¼ cup vegetable oil

 

Instructions:

 

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble ground beef and sausage into the hot pan and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

 

2. Pour in chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add onion, bell pepper, chili peppers, bacon bits, beef bouillon and beer. Blend and season with remaining ingredients.

 

3. Stir well. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.

 

4. While chili is cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all cornbread ingredients together in a bowl. The mixture should be thick, but still thin enough to pour without being soupy.

 

5. Pour cornbread batter into a hot, greased eight- to nine-inch cast iron skillet. Bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown.

 

6. After two hours, adjust salt, pepper and chili powder to taste.