Lamb Smoked German Ale Chili
This version of Beer Chili goes to Germany, using ground lamb and a smoked German larger style of beer called a Rauchbier to create a Lamb Smoked German Ale Chili. The richness that the lamb brings to this Beer Chili, creates a little more meatiness, while the smoked malts used in the Rauchbier, add that flavor of the hearth | fire place | cooking by the fire aromatic and essence of cooking over a wood fire. Adding the fire roasted tomatoes, along with the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, onions and garlic all lend themselves to the Germanic cuisine. While not fully German in origin, this Beer Chili variation shows how mixing a few different ingredients will change the flavor and nuance of a recipe.
Grind Matters:
Ask your butcher to coarse-grind or chili grind on the lamb meat, if they don’t have them already pre-ground in their case. This larger cut, gives the finished chili more meaty texture. One can also buy steaks and dice the meat with a sharp knife, to give even more meaty texture to this chili.
Makes: Four 8-ounce servings
Adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Sep 2007 | Issue #9
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 guests | 15 minute |
| Cook Time |
| 2 hour |
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The flavors of Germany infuse into the template Beer Chili recipe to create a Lamb Smoked German Ale Chili. The German Rauchbier adds a wonderful rich smoky element to this Beer Chili.
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- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
- 1 tablespoon paprika, smoked, ground
- 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns, black freshly ground
- 2 tablespoon oil, olive
- 1 each onion, yellow, large, peeled and chopped
- 2 each garlic, cloves peeled and minced
- 1 pound lamb, ground
- 24 ounce Rauchbier, such as Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen or other Rauchbier
- 1 cup water or stock chicken | beef | lamb | roasted vegetable
- 14 1/2 ounce tomatoes, canned, preferably fire roasted tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
- salt, kosher to taste
- Place a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven add cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper (and/or any other spices, if using). Turn the heat to medium and stir with a spoon until you start to smell the spices and they start to smoke, about 2 - 3 minutes. This will toast the spices, helping them release their flavors, and will heat the pan for the onions at the same time. Remove the spices to a bowl and return the pot to the heat.
- To the pot, add olive oil and onions (peppers and chilies, if using) and stir occasionally until the onions are transparent and starting to turn brown, about 7 - 9 minutes. This will add a depth of flavors created by caramelization of the simple sugars found in onions, converting them to sour organic acids: sweet, bitter and fragrant molecules. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Using a spoon, gather the onions and garlic to one side of the pot, creating a small pile and add lamb meat in one single layer to the rest of the pot. If the meat layer is more than half an inch thick, remove half of the meat and repeat the following step. Leave meat for 3 minutes; this will brown the lamb, intensifying the flavors, adding more richness and complexity. Stir the meat for another 3 minutes to cook evenly. Add the toasted spices and flour to the meat and cook for another minute. The flour will help thicken the chili, giving it extra body. Deglaze the pan with beer, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits or fond; then add the water | stock, tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid is bubbling, turn heat to low and let cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, then serve.
- Optional: One can dice a peeled white onion, grate some smoked cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese, have some sour cream | Mexican crème | crème fraîche to add some richness and tang or even a smoked salsa to have available for garnishing this Beer Chili.
Other Recipes That Use This Recipe as a Template:
