Recipe Background
Route 66 Chili blends pork, beef, and beer for a savory, slow-cooked travel delight.
Our Route 66 Chili is a tribute to my very first cross-country road trip. I was halfway through my culinary journey across the United States when my clunky, old van decided to take a break just outside of Tulsa. Stranded, I ended up at a local diner where the owner shared a secret: chili made slow and steady, with a comforting array of pork, beef, and a hodgepodge of gravies. Naturally, I had to try making it myself. This chili quickly became my travel companion’s favorite, filling our bellies with warmth and flavor on long stretches of the highway.
In that magical blend of beer and tomatoes with green chilies, I found a solution to many roadside lunches. Cans of tomato sauce and lager beer became staples in our van’s tiny pantry, ready to transform a simple meal into a dazzling spread. The tenderness that comes from letting the slow cooker gently hum for hours is key, and don’t be shy with the chili powder. It's that sprinkle of tortilla chips toward the end that elevates the dish, creating a delightful texture you wouldn’t want to miss. Toss in some jalapeños or creamy cheddar to suit your taste and journey with every bite.
Years later, as I rev up more epicurean adventures, this chili stands as a relic of my youthful wanderlust, blended with a touch of kitchen wisdom. Much like a forgotten postcard capturing a moment in time, these flavors remind me of the open road. It’s a dish that celebrates food’s ability to connect us to places and memories, one slow-cooked delight at a time.
Ingredients
For the chili:
- 1 tablespoon oil neutral-flavored
- 1 (2-pound) pork loin boneless and cubed
- 1 pound beef stew meat cubed
- 1 large sweet Vidalia onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 8 ounces bacon chopped
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can golden pork gravy
- 1 (10.25-ounce) beef gravy
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) can lager beer
- 1 (14.25-ounce) can tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 ounces yellow corn tortilla chips crushed
Optional, for serving:
- jalapeño to taste, sliced
- cheddar cheese to taste, shredded
- sour cream to taste
Directions
- In a large skillet on the stovetop, heat the oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering hot, add the cubed pork, the beef stew meat, and the onion.
- Brown the meat mixture, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the meat mixture into a slow cooker.
- Add the bacon, the chili powder, the pork gravy, the beef gravy, the tomato sauce, the beer, the tomatoes with green chiles, the kidney beans, the salt, and the pepper into the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Add the tortilla chips and cook until the chips have been incorporated into the chili, about 30 minutes-1 hour.
- Serve hot with the jalapeños, the cheddar cheese, and the sour cream.
×