Big Dog Chili

• 3 dried red chili peppers
• 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound 80-20 ground beef, coarse or chili grind
• 4 cups Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh Anaheim pepper, diced and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 7½ tablespoons chili powder (Gebhardt preferred)
• 1 tablespoon hot chili powder (Gebhardt preferred)
• 3½ pounds chopped smoked beef brisket, lean cut
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup cumin
• 1½ cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups Rotel Original chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup corn tortilla chips, crushed
• ½ tablespoon cayenne
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar

Accompaniments

• Fritos corn chips
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Corn bread
• Sour cream
• Pickled jalapeños
• Hot sauce

METHOD

Add dried peppers to 1 cup water in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until peppers are soft.

Remove stems and puree in a blender with 2 tablespoons of liquid from pan.  Set aside.

Brown sausage in vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Remove meat with slotted spoon and set aside.  Add ground beef and brown; remove with slotted spoon and set aside.  In same pan, sauté peppers for 3 minutes  Add garlic and continue to sauté until onion is translucent, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Combine chili powders in small bowl.

Add brisket to stockpile with half of chili powder mix; cook for 15 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes,  and dried-chili puree and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in cooked ground beef, sausage, remaining chili powder, chicken stock, and crushed tortilla chips.  Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in cayenne, brown sugar, and a pinch of cumin just before serving.

To serve, spoon chili over a handful of Fritos in a bowl, then top with cheddar cheese, crumbled corn bread, and a dollop of sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and a dash of hot sauce.