Beef, Smoked Food, Soup

Onion Chili Soup

We were having a bonspiel at our curling club. This means there was a lot of people coming in from out of town. We like to have a light lunch for our guests and volunteers bring in slow cookers of soup. My contribution this year was Onion Chili Soup.

My idea was to get the rich taste of chili in a soup as opposed to chili con carne. I decided to add more onion to kick up the flavour of a thinner chile. Also, I thought I could add some complexity by smoking ingredients with my Traeger Timberline.

I picked up a 1.5 kg (3 pound) boneless cross rib roast which is a piece of the chuck. I made up an injection of:

50 ml (1/4 cup) beef stock
8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) soy sauce
8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) Worcestershire sauce.
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) onion powder
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) garlic powder

I injected that every inch or so into the beef.

I sprinkled 5 ml (1 teaspoon) each of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder over the roast.

I cored and cut 5 medium tomatoes in half and put them skin side down in a roasting pan. I cut two medium onions into quarters and put them on a perforated grilling sheet with 4 stalks of celery.

I put the beef on a top rack over the tomatoes and put the onions and celery in the smoker.

I smoked the beef and vegetables at 250 F (120 C) for about 2 1/2 hours until the vegetables started to get some good smoke colour and the skins were loose on the tomatoes. I took the vegetables in and continued cooking the beef until it had a nice brown colour and the internal temperature was 140 F (60 C) , about another hour.

While the beef was continuing to cook, I diced the onion and celery and put them in a bowl.

I put the tomato halves in the bowl and pulled the skins off. Then I roughly crushed the tomatoes with my fingers. Set the vegetables aside.

When the beef reached an internal temperature of 140 F (60 C), I put it in a roasting pan with 125 ml (1/2 cup) of beef stock. I covered the pan with foil and put it in a 250 F (120 C) oven until the internal temperature of the beef was 203 F (95 C).

I could have continued in the smoker instead of using the oven but it was winter in the Canadian Rockies and quite cold. As the meat is covered by foil, no more smoke would be exposed to the meat so I decided to move indoors.

When the meat reached a temperature of 203 F (95 C), I took it out of the oven and let it rest under the foil for 2 hours.

I took the beef out of the pan and cut the string that tied the roast. I pulled the beef into shreds an cut the shreds to cubes. Defat the juices in the roasting pan and add them to the beef.

I put the beef and vegetables in a large pot with:

2 litres (2 quarts) beef stock
1 litre (1 quart) water
20 ml (4 teaspoons) chili powder
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) dried chili flakes
2 – 156 ml (5.5 oz) cans tomato paste
20 ml (4 teaspoons) beef stock powder (OXO for example)
125 ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce
15 ml (1 tablespoon) honey

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Add 540 ml (19 oz) of canned kidney beans that have been rinsed under cold water. Simmer for 1/2 hour more.

The soup is ready to serve but it makes a lot. I filled my slow cooker to take to the bonspiel and let the rest cool and froze it in serving size containers.

The Verdict

I loved this and from the way it disappeared at the bonspiel, I think many other did, too! It has a rich beefy taste like a French onion soup with smokey undertones. The chili and tomato flavours add to the great heartiness of the soup giving just a touch of heat but no burn. Dang. Now I need a bowl of this soup!

The Old Fat Guy

Yum

Onion Chili Soup

Ingredients

1.5 kg (3 pounds) boneless chuck or crossrib roast
50 ml (1/4 cup) beef stock
8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) soy sauce
8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) Worcestershire sauce.
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) onion powder
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) garlic powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
5 ml (1 teaspoon) pepper
5 ml (1 teaspoon) onion powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon) garlic powder
5 medium tomatoes
2 medium onions
4 stalks celery
125 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
2 litres (2 quarts) beef stock
1 litre (1 quart) water
20 ml (4 teaspoons) chili powder
3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) dried chili flakes
2 - 156 ml (5.5 oz) cans tomato paste
20 ml (4 teaspoons) beef stock powder (OXO for example)
125 ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce
15 ml (1 tablespoon) honey
540 ml (19 oz) canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions

Mix the 50 ml (1/4 cup) beef stock, 8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) soy sauce, 8 ml (1 1/2 teaspoon) Worcestershire sauce, 3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) onion powder, and 3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) garlic powder together.
Inject the mixture into the roast about every 1 inch.
Rub the surface of the roast with the 5 ml (1 teaspoon) each of the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a roasting pan with the skin side down..
Cut the oinions into quarters.
Put the onions and celery on a perforated grill tray.
Heat a smoker to 250 F (120 C). Put the beef on the top rack of the smoker and the tomatoes below it. Put the onions and celery in the smoker.
Smoke for about 2 1/2 hours until the vegetables are coloured and the skins on the tomatoes are loose. Take the vegetables out to cool.
Continue smoking the meat to an internal temperature of 140 F (60 C)..
While the meat is cooking, chop the onions and celery and put them in a bowl.
Put the tomatoes on top of the vegetables and pull the skin off. Roughly crush the tomatoes with your fingers.
When the beef gets to an internal temperature of 140 F (60 C), put it in a roasting pan and add 125 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock. Cover with foil and cook at 250 F (120 C) to an internal temperature of 203 F (95 C).
Let the beef rest under the foil for 2 hours.
Shred the beef and cut the shreds into cubes.
Defat the liquid in the roasting pan and add it to the beef.
Put the vegetables and beef in a large pot. Add the 2 litres (2 quarts) beef stock, water, chili powder, chili flakes, tomato paste, beef stock powder, soy sauce, and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add rinsed kidney beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
This soup freezes well.