Brisket Chili

I received the D Magazine Cookbook as a Christmas gift from a coworker two years ago. It is filled with various recipe contributions from Dallas chefs, including a fun take on a chili recipe, submitted by the Twisted Root Burger Co. Founder and Chef, Jason Boso.

This is the original recipe:

The first time I made it, while the flavor was outstanding, it had so much liquid to it and seemed more soup-like than that of a hearty, chunky chili consistency. This time, I added some more "girth" to it with the black beans and butternut squash. Instead of stewed tomatoes, which created more excess liquid originally, I used the diced tomatoes and opted for the flavor of the fire roasted with green chiles. I switched out his granulated sugar for a more rich flavor with brown sugar. I also added the cayenne, garlic powder and my favorite secret weapon, Cajun seasoning.

This takes about 5.5 hours to make - 30 minutes prep, 5 hours in the oven.

Ingredients
Yields 8-10 Servings 

• 3 lbs. brisket, trimmed and cut into 1/2 lb. sections
• 1 large onion, chiced (that's a hybrid of chopped and diced - somewhere in the middle)
• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 can beer (I used Miller Lite because it was in the fridge)
• 1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced red tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 5 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. cumin
• Garlic powder
• Cajun seasoning
• Sour cream (optional)
• Shredded cheese (optional)
• Green onion (optional)

Heat your oven to 275 degrees.

Season your brisket with garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. In a large cast iron pot, brown the sections of meat on all sides (3-4 at a time, don't let them touch in the pan) on high heat. Remove the meat and add the onions, scraping up the brown bits. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the onions to caramelize (15 minutes).

Add the meat back in, along with the butternut squash, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles. In a separate bowl, combine the liquids and the tomato paste, followed by the spices. With a wooden spoon, mix it all together thickening the base with the tomato paste, then stir in the brown sugar. Once well blended, add to the pot with meat and veggies, fully coating. Make sure the meat is submerged in the liquid at least three quarters of the way.

Place the pot in the oven and let cook for 5 hours, or until the brisket is shreddable. Once it is, completely shred, discarding any excess fat left from the brisket. Take a taste test and if you need to add any of the spices to your liking, do so.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with your choice of sour cream, shredded cheese and green onion.