Sunday, October 5, 2008

Kezza's Famous Turkey Chili!

Kezza’s Famous Chili
(4-6 servings)

(Not the best picture. I started eating it before I snapped the pic. Oops!)


3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground turkey (95% lean)
4 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp Dinosaur BBQ Cajun Foreplay Spice Rub
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp Sriracha (or any other hot sauce)
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped into 1cm chunks
2 large bell peppers, any 2 colors, chopped into 1cm chunks
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3/4 bottle of your favorite beer
1 14oz. can Muir Glen tomato sauce
1 28oz. can Muir Glen diced fire-roasted tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 cup Dinosaur BBQ Sensuous Slathering Sauce
1 14oz can of corn kernels, drained
1 14oz can kidney beans, drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped


• Heat a pot over medium to med-high heat. Add olive oil and the turkey meat.
• Season the meat with chili powder, Cajun spice rub, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha.
• Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon to make small crumbles.
• Brown meat for 5 minutes. Chop onions and peppers.
• Add onion, bell peppers and jalapeno. Cook 10 minutes more.
• Add beer to deglaze the pan, scraping drippings off the bottom of the pan.
• Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, corn and beans.
• Adjust seasonings and heat level to taste. The heat tends to diminish a bit as it sits over night, so don’t be afraid to throw in some more Sriracha.
• It will be a little watery. Simmer uncovered until desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Usually about 30-45 minutes. It will thicken up in the fridge. (You can also help thicken it by adding 1 Tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water.)
• Right before taking off the heat, stir in the cilantro.
• Best made a day ahead of time so flavors really have time to blend!
• Serve with favorite toppings – chopped onion, jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, etc!


Notes: The Dinosaur BBQ sauce is readily available at Wegman's grocery stores in New York. It's also available at a specialty food shop out here in Boulder, so I imagine it would be at other specialty food shops around the country as well. You can also order it at the website linked above. And of course, you can get it at the restaurants in Syracuse, Rochester, and Harlem.

If you're going to experiment with other BBQ sauces, I recommend using one that does not contain high fructose corn syrup or a lot of sugar. The smokiness of this BBQ sauce gives the chili it's signature flavor!

I once experimented with other Cajun seasoning, and the chili came out so hot it was almost inedible. So experimenter, beware!

I've also used Hunt's brand fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and I didn't like them as much. They were less diced and almost pureed it seemed. Not a huge deal, but I'm picky like that.

If you make it, let me know what you think! :-)


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Awesome Chili