Firehouse Chili Gumbo

This is the last “soup” that I have to share (for now!) in my cozy soup series. 😉 It would be perfect for any Super Bowl Sunday feast. It was layered with flavor.

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sam Sifton. The original recipe was adapted from the one that a Louisiana firefighter named Jeremy Chauvin entered into a national cook-off run by Hormel Foods in 2017, and that took home the prize for America’s Best Firehouse Chili. It uses a roux as a base, making it a chili “gumbo.” I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

For the Chili:

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
• 3 pounds ground beef or ground turkey, ideally coarse-ground
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons steak sauce (I substituted soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

For the Gumbo:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 3 ribs celery, trimmed and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 cups tomato juice
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste

For Serving:

• sliced scallions, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, as desired
• corn bread or corn muffins, optional

1. Make the chili. Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. (I used an enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Working in batches, cook the ground meat, stirring often, until it has begun to brown at the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a bowl.
3. Pour off excess fat, turn heat down to medium and return the browned meat to the skillet or pot.
4. Add salt, peppers, chile powder, turmeric, oregano and cumin, and stir to combine.
5. Add steak sauce/soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, and stir again. Cover the skillet or pot, and cook, stirring a few times, for 15 minutes or so.
6. Make the gumbo. Place a large pot with a heavy bottom over medium heat, and put the butter and oil into it. When the butter is melted and foaming, sprinkle the flour into the pan, and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add the onion, shallots, bell peppers, celery and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have started to soften, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Make the chili gumbo. Add the beef mixture to the pot with the vegetables along with the tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and ketchup, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, then add apple-cider vinegar and hot sauce to taste.
9. Take the pot off the heat, and serve, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to cure. Heat before serving.
10. Serve garnished with scallions, shredded cheese, and/or tortilla chips, as desired.

One Year Ago: Squash & Pork Stir-Fry

Two Years Ago: Duchess Baked Potatoes

Three Years Ago:

• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce
• Classic Potato Gratin

Four Years Ago:

• Dark Meat Chicken Chili
• Broccoli & Mozzarella Potluck Stromboli

Five Years Ago:

• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
•  Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Sage

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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