Chilli is an ideal dish for combining smoke, spice and the roasted character of dark beer. A non-alcoholic stout can add depth to minced beef, kidney beans, tomato and chipotle. Cooking the chilli uncovered in the smoker gives it time to thicken while picking up some of that outdoor BBQ flavour.
Serves / makes: 6 portions
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 2–2½ hours
Recommended NA beer: NA stout or porter
Ingredients
- 750g minced beef
- 330ml non-alcoholic stout
- 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 × 400g tins kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 30g tomato purée
- 20g chipotle chilli paste
- 15ml vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the smoker to approximately 150–160°C.
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat.
- Brown the minced beef thoroughly, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.
- Add the onion and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until softening.
- Add garlic, tomato purée, chipotle paste, cumin, paprika and oregano. Stir for a minute.
- Pour in the stout, scraping the bottom of the pan, then add tomatoes and drained kidney beans.
- Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer the uncovered dish to the smoker and cook for approximately 1½–2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Add a splash of water or stock if the chilli reduces too far.
- Remove when the sauce has thickened and everything is piping hot. Serve with rice, baked potatoes or tortilla chips.
Why Use This NA Beer?
The roast and malt notes of stout work with beef and chipotle, adding richness without having to increase the heat of the chilli.
Tips and Variations
For a meatier result, replace part of the minced beef with small cubes of beef chuck and extend cooking until tender. Choose a smooth stout that is not aggressively bitter.
