Cook Beef Like This For Comforting Chili That's 10x Easier

Of all the countless types of chili, over-the-top (OTT) chili is a style that may take a bit of setup but can save you a lot of effort down the line. Provided you have the tools to cook meat low and slow, this method guarantees a ton of rich, aromatic flavor while keeping the actual process fairly hands off.

It's pretty much impossible to overcook chili, and long cooking times only make it taste better as all the flavors meld together. The idea behind OTT styles is that you actually cook the meat separately from the rest of the ingredients, usually on a rack suspended directly over the pot. Over time, the meat develops a beautiful crust as smoke penetrates every inch, with all of its decadent juices dripping directly into the pot. Still, if you don't have a smoker, you can replicate this in the oven, provided you don't mind losing out on the barbecue aspect.

Aside from the initial effort of setting up the meat and pot, this recipe is hands off and only requires you to crumble the meat into the chili once it's done. Compared to the work of browning and crumbling it in more traditional recipes, you should be able to save quite a bit of time. Plus, the exposure to radiant heat rather than sitting in a pot of liquid ensures you get as much of that beautiful barbecue bark as possible, no matter what protein you use.

Provided your protein can crumble or shred into tiny pieces suspended in the chili's broth, you can't go wrong. Ground meat is the most common choice, since that's what you'll most often find in chili anyway, but smoking gives you a wider range of options that you can further upgrade with top-quality wood chips.

If you opt for ground beef, try to stick with a blend that's similar to the lean-to-fat ratio for meatloaf, around 80/20. This ensures there's enough fat to flavor your dish, but not so much that you'll have to spend a lot of time skimming the excess off the top. How much you use depends on the amount of chili you're making, but try to keep your protein in one large, evenly sized ball. This ensures the meat stays a bit juicy but has enough surface area to absorb plenty of smoke before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.

If you're looking for a more classic barbecue twist similar to Brunswick stew, the best cuts of pork to smoke, from shoulder to hot links, are all winners. Keep in mind that some of these may contain a bit more fat than you're aiming for, but crisp casings on sausage or smooth, buttery strands of pulled pork can be well worth the extra effort. You can even opt for a medley of shoulder, chicken, and a bit of brisket, though you'll need to carefully monitor them and pull each one separately when it's done.