Hy's Georgia Chain-Gang Chili
Submitted by dw
Hy’s Georgia chain-gang chili: a three-meat marathon chili with burgundy-marinated beef, ground pork, and poached chicken, simmered three hours with three kinds of chiles, beer, and Sauterne.
YIELD
20 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
4 hrsHy’s Georgia chain-gang chili is a serious cook’s chili. Three meats, three wines, three chile varieties, and a three-hour simmer. The recipe scales to twenty servings, which tells you exactly what it’s built for: a stadium-sized cookout where one giant pot feeds everyone.
The burgundy marinade is the move that separates this from any tailgate chili. Six pounds of coarse-ground beef sits overnight in red wine, thyme, garlic, and bay so the flavors penetrate deep. Ground pork joins later for richness, and poached chicken breasts get shredded in for a third layer of texture. The marinade itself doesn’t get dumped — half goes into the pot at the start, the rest gets stirred in over the long simmer along with Sauterne and a bottle of beer.
Ten tablespoons of mild ground chile build the base heat, then jalapeños, pickled hot pepper sauce, and three fresh whole chiles sauteed in butter pile on the layers. Mexican oregano (not Mediterranean), cumin, and a touch of rosemary round out the spice profile. The three-hour simmer uncovered is non-skippable; that’s where the chili tightens to spoon-coating consistency and the meats break down.
Pro Tips
- Marinate in glass or glazed cast iron only. Aluminum reacts with the wine and gives the meat a metallic edge.
- Brown the meats hard before adding the wet ingredients. Pale meat means flat-tasting chili.
- Save the chicken poaching liquid. Use it to thin the pot if it gets too thick during the long simmer.
- Make this a day ahead. Like any stew, it tastes deeper after an overnight rest in the fridge.
Variations
- Swap burgundy for a cabernet for a darker, fruitier marinade.
- Add a square of unsweetened chocolate in the last hour for Mexican-style depth.
- Stir in a can of black beans in the final thirty minutes for body.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large non-aluminum (preferably glass or glazed cast iron) bowl make a marinade by combining the burgundy, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and black pepper.
Place all the beef in the bowl and mix lightly to coat the meat well.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
If time is short marinate for 2 hours at room temperature.
Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan with enough water to cover.
Add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer over low heat for ½ hour.
Remove the chicken reserving the liquid.
Chop the chicken breasts fine and reserve.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot.
Add the onions and cook until they are translucent.
Meanwhile, drain the beef, straining and reserving the marinade.
Mix the beef and pork together, then combine the meats with the ground chile, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, rosemary, and the rest of the salt.
Add this meat-and-spice mixture to the pot with the onions. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned.
Add half the marinade, the reserved chicken, tomatoes, both tomato sauces, jalapenos, and 1 tablespoon of liquid hot pepper sauce to the pot.
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add the fresh chiles, mushrooms, and a small amount of the Sauterne and cook for 3 minutes.
Add this to the pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for at least 3 hours. When the chili is cooking, from time to time stir in the remaining marinade, the remaining Sauterne, and beer.
If more liquid is needed, stir in the water the chicken was cooked in.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Comments
I've made this chili for years from the original prizing winning recipe. They take four days to make this. Days 2 , 3 and 4 you bring to a slow boil and simper for 3 hours each day. then cover and set it on the back of your stove until the next day. Doing this brings out the spices so much better.