Pulled Pork Chili

[Uncle Pigfat]

There was another chili cook-off at work so I wanted to try something different.  This is a smokey sweet chili with beans and by no means traditional, so you Texas purists can probably stop here in lieu of having your preference offended.  It won the cook-off so I figured I'd share.  I wasn't diligent with pictures, so I apologize.  It looks like chili with stringy meat.  Since I was smoking and fully cooking the pork and not stewing in the chili, I put a tiny dutch oven I've been trying to find a use for under my butts with an unmeasured amount of apple juice in it (I imagine it was between 12 and 24 oz) to collect the drippings to use as a base.  I put it in after the smoke was done and left it in for the rest of the cook. I didn't really strain it other than removing the layer of fat that formed at the top when it cooled and removing some of the larger chunks of slop the a slotted spoon would strain out.  I smoked the pork with my go-to apple/hickory combo and cold smoked the onions, peppers, and garlic with an hour and 40 min of apple.


****Edit:  I left the cinnamon out of my rub this time as the flavor was getting to me.  I prefer the rub without the cinnamon.  I'll have to update the recipe on the rubs/sauce thread.*****


Recipe:
2 lbs of UPF's Bubb Rubbed pulled pork
1.5 - 2 cups of pork dripping apple juice with the chunks - this was more to taste. I used virtually all the liquid I collected.
3 medium Onions
2 Green Jalapenos - seeded but with the ribs left in
2 Red Jalapenos - seeded but with the ribs left in
4 Cloves Garlic
28 oz can Tomato Puree
2 Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans - drained (I'm too lazy to cook my own beans)
2 Cans Red Beans - drained
2 Tbs UPF's Bubb Rubb
2 Tbs Chili Powder
2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbs Black Pepper
2 t Kosher Salt
1 t Chipotle Chili Powder
1 t Cumin
1/2 t Cayenne Pepper

In a dutch oven, stew pot or your favorite pot for chili, add a splash of pork dripping juice and a splash of olive oil (enough to simmer your garlic and peppers)
when hot, simmer garlic
add chopped peppers when garlic starts to brown
when peppers begin to soften, add some more pork juice and add the chopped onions to sweat a bit.
once onions begin to soften, add tomato puree, a good portion of the remaining pork juice, beans, and spices.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly - taste to make sure sweet/savory/smokiness is where you like it.
reduce to a simmer over low heat and add pork.  Let simmer a while and let the flavors combine.  Taste and add the rest of the pork juice if there is any left and you feel it could be smokier.
let simmer as long as you feel is necessary.  I like to make my chili a day in advance and let it sit in the fridge over night so everything gets to know each other a little better.  I heat it up in a crock pot the next day.  It's also good the same day.  Just a matter of preference.  Basically this should eat like a tasty pulled pork sandwich that fell into a vat of chili.  No need for cheese or other garnishes.

The only pics I got were of my butts smoking.  13.5 lbs of awesome.  The bottom one was rubbed with Bubb Rubb and the top with Wild Willie's.  Total cook time was about 20 hrs.  The picture was taken at around the 11 hour mark.  My drip tub sat on top of my bricks that sit on the v-pan

[pensrock]

It sure sounds good, was it spicy enough?

[SnellySmokesEm]

Congrats on your win.  My family is having a Chili cook off the friday after thanksgiving so I think I might steal some of your ingredients and use in my recipe.  

[Uncle Pigfat]

It sure sounds good, was it spicy enough?

It had a nice low burn in the back of the throat.  It could certainly be adjusted without killing the flavor, but I was going for more smokey/sweet/savory.  I usually go for blinding heat so it was a nice change of pace.  If I was to change anything, I might add a few more jalapenos and maybe another tablespoon of chili powder.  As is, I could have eaten the whole pot myself, though.

[kaskiles]

... and cold smoked the onions, peppers, and garlic with an hour and 40 min of apple.

Can you give more detail on this cold smoking part.  Did you smoke peppers whole, or sliced in half.  Was the onion cut into chunks or quarters?  Did you just peel the garlic cloves, or did you slice open the cloves?

When did you smoke these in relation to cooking the chili?  Did you just pull off the smoker, let cool and use; or pull off and seal up in a bag and refrigerate?

Did you cook the chili up inside the house, or outside?

[squirtthecat]

Very nice!   I did a pulled pork chili for a school fundraiser back in February...
Didn't win anything, but everyone loved it - as it was something different that the normal fare.

And I used beans...  Lots of 'em.  (15 varieties)

[BuyLowSellHigh]

There was another chili cook-off at work so I wanted to try something different.  This is a smokey sweet chili with beans and by no means traditional, so you Texas purists can probably stop here in lieu of having your preference offended.  

Let's not get too hung up on words .. let's just call it really good eats!  It sure sounds like something wonderful.

Way to go on the win, too!

[Uncle Pigfat]

... and cold smoked the onions, peppers, and garlic with an hour and 40 min of apple.

Can you give more detail on this cold smoking part.  Did you smoke peppers whole, or sliced in half.  Was the onion cut into chunks or quarters?  Did you just peel the garlic cloves, or did you slice open the cloves?

When did you smoke these in relation to cooking the chili?  Did you just pull off the smoker, let cool and use; or pull off and seal up in a bag and refrigerate?

Did you cook the chili up inside the house, or outside?

The onions were peeled and halved.  The peppers were halved and seeded.  The garlic was peeled but not sliced.  The cut side of the onions and peppers face down on the frogmat.  There was no cooling with the veggies/garlic since it was "cold" smoked.  I don't have a cold smoke adapter so I think the max box temp was 90* from the smoke generator.  I chopped and used the veggies/garlic stright out of the smoker.  The chili was cooked inside on the stove.