Brisket Chili - Any Thoughts?

[James Harvey]

Made a pretty good chili using an ICS Red Chili recipe with leftover brisket for the meat (recipe below). Can anyone offer tweaks? I added white beans and it was very good.

ICS Competition Red Chili

2 pounds Tri Tip beef, cubed
1 Pork bone
1 medium Onion(s), diced
3 teaspoons Cumin powder
2 teaspoons Red chile pepper, fine grind
2, 10 3/4 oz. cans Campbell's tomato soup
1, 14 1/2 oz. can Tomato(s), crushed
1 1/2 cups Chicken stock
2 tablespoons Ancho chile, fine grind
2 tablespoons New Mexico chile, fine grind
1 tablespoon Black pepper, Telicherry, fine grind
3 teaspoons Chile de Arbol, fine grind
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Oregano, dried
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper(160,000 SVU)

DUMP 1: Beef, pork bone, onion, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground red chile. Brown. Retain all juices.

DUMP 2: Soup, chicken stock, tomatoes, 1 TBS. each of Ancho, New Mexico and black pepper, 1 tsp. chili de arbol. Quietly simmer 45 minutes.

DUMP 3: 1 TBS each of Ancho and New Mexico, 1 tsp. chili de arbol, 2 tsp. salt. Simmer quietly for 45 minutes.

DUMP 4: 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili de arbol, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. cayenne . Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove pork bone and adjust for heatness and salt levels.

I didn't have a pork bone but didn't really think it mattered much. I've done this with ground turkey and left over pulled pork as well. Really good heat, earthy enough with the cumin but still seemed to be missing a little something. I've also added bacon with the rendered fat for more flavor. Any thoughts?

 

[K Kruger]

Thoughts: Caraemlize the onion, don't just thow in the pot; skip the tomato soup (switch to diced tomatoes packed in juice or use fresh, peeled diced tomato); if using smoked meat add a fruit component (replace some of the stock with pineapple juice or cider, e.g., or add some pomegranate molasses; boost the flavoring by adding marjoram along with the oregano; switch the black pepper to white; switch the cayenne to Aleppo and use more (probably) to taste; adjust the finish with salt, black pepper, a squeeze of lemon and, perhaps, a bit of sugar.