Whole30 Chili

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon
• 2 pounds ground mean (combo beef, pork and veal is best)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 28-ounce can tomato puree
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 3 cups beef broth, plus more if needed
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Instructions

1. Using a large stock pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 Tablespoon of the bacon fat - and reserve the remainder for later (this is liquid gold).
2. In the same stock pot, brown the ground meat in the bacon fat over medium/ high heat. Once all of the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside in a covered bowl. Make sure the pot is empty, but you don’t have to worry about wiping it down (if there are small bits left in there it will just add flavor).
3. Heat about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the stock pot, and add in the onions and bell pepper - cooking until the onions are translucent and soft. Add in the garlic and zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes. At this point, add in the chili powder, cumin, paprika and tomato paste. Keep stirring for another few minutes until the mixture in the pot looks covered evenly. Add in 1.5 cups of the beef broth, and let simmer for about 2 minutes.
4. Add back in the ground beef you set aside, cocoa powder, tomato puree, diced tomatoes and remainder of the beef broth. Reduce to a medium/ low heat, and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
5. Add in salt and hot sauce to taste. If the chili looks too watery, keep simmering. If it is too thick, add more broth.

Notes