Bacon Beef Chili with Sirloin and No Beans or Tomatoes
A rich, lightly seasoned meat-and-broth chili with bacon, ground beef, and sirloin, without beans or tomatoes.
Ingredients
Beef and bacon
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound boneless sirloin steak Thawed; 1/2-inch cubes
Broth and seasonings
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder Mild chili seasoning blend
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- to taste fine salt Taste first; bacon adds salt
Instructions
- Crisp the bacon in a heavy 4-quart pot, using batches if needed. Reserve 1 tablespoon rendered fat for the steak and remove the rest, leaving the pot lightly coated.
- Cook ground beef in the pot until crumbled and at least 160°F, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excessive fat.
- Add cumin, mild chili powder, and beef broth. Keep at a gentle partially covered simmer 15–20 minutes.
- Near the end, heat the reserved bacon fat in another broad skillet. Cook ½-inch sirloin cubes in a single layer for approximately 4–6 minutes, turning and checking for 145°F in the largest pieces.
- Rest the steak on a clean plate 3 minutes. Stir it into the hot ground beef mixture with crumbled bacon, reserving about ¼ cup bacon for garnish.
- Warm briefly without an extended boil, taste before adding salt, and portion into 6 bowls with the reserved bacon.
Notes
Reserve only 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon fat for the steak skillet; no additional tallow is needed. Sirloin is cooked to 145°F and rested 3 minutes before combining. Reheat refrigerated leftovers to 165°F.