Hog Wild Chili

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Finding the Kentucky Food Bloggers Group has been one of the most satisfying events of this blogging hobby of mine. I have known for sometime that I couldn't be the only food blogger in the area but wasn't sure about how to find others. Mindy Wilson and Lori Rice have done a phenomenal job in not only finding us Kentucky foodies, but in creating an environment of support, education, friendship, and fun.

Mindy and Lori put together a wonderful event for our group to get together around the recent Incredible Food Show. Our weekend began with a spectacular dinner at Jonathan at Gratz Park featuring Jonathan's legendary take on traditional Bluegrass and Southern flavors and ingredients from Alltech. The food was delicious, but the conversation shared at our table was the true treat of the evening.

Each of us left with a swag bag filled with goodies generously donated by the following companies:

Alltech

Howard's Creek Authentic Beer Cheese

Weisenberger Mill

Holly Hill Inn

Herb'N Renewal

Elmwood Inn

Incredible Food Show

Whole Foods Lexington

Bourbon Barrel Foods

As if swag bags weren't enough, these companies provided door prizes. I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous basket of healthy goodies from Whole Foods!

Americandy

Kentucky Cutting Boards

Marksbury Farm

Bluegrass Chevre

Lexington Chocolate Company

Whole Foods Lexington

Lori Rice

Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State (our grass isn't blue, but we bleed blue, at least here in Lexington - Go Cats!) so I started a feature on my blog a while back called Bite of the Bluegrass to highlight Kentucky's agricultural legacy and the incredible products that are produced here. This seems like the perfect opportunity to revisit that idea and feature recipes using the products of these vendors.

I'm starting with the Chili Season'n I received from Herb'N Renewal. Herb'N Renewal produces hand blended herb and spice blends to make getting great flavor quick and easy. I've used their products and recipes for years, but this was my first time using their Chili Season'n. I could have used it in my standby chili recipe, but decided to the use one of the recipes included with the packet.

The use of pork as the protein in the Hog Wild Chili piqued my interest right away. Any recipe that starts with bacon drippings is already a winner in my book. Everything is better cooked in bacon fat. If you are looking for a quick and easy chili recipe, give this one a go. I was amazed at how tender and flavorful the pork loin was. I also liked the mix of beans here and would even considered adding black beans in the future. Corn would be another great addition.

The use of the Chili Season'n made throwing this together super quick and easy because I didn't have to pull out have of my spice rack! Just threw some of this mix in, no guesswork! Check out all of their great products by visiting Herb'N Renewal.

Linking to:

Foodie Friday

Friday Potluck

Hog Wild Chili

recipe courtesy of HerbN' Renewal

3 lbs pork loin, cubed small

2 tbsp bacon drippings

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup green pepper, diced

1 12 ounce beer

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 29 ounce can tomato sauce

3 tbsp chili season'n

1 30 ounce can chili beans

2 15.5 ounce cans northern beans

Brown pork in bacon drippings until moisture is reduced and meat is lightly browned. Add peppers and onions; saute 5 minutes.

Add beer, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili season'n. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes; add beans. Return to a simmer and cook until meat is tender; approximately 1-2 hours; stirring occasionally.

If chili is not the desired thickness add 1 tablespoon of cornmeal at a time to thicken; stirring after each tablespoon.