Smokey Bowl of Red

Photo: MVL

Despite the whole Texas Pete (famously made in North Carolina) thing, Norte del Carolina is not known for it’s smokin’ hot spicy food culture. A lot of my Southern friends are actually, chronically, spice-averse. So this chili’s perfect for them. Because despite having up to 6 types of dried chilies at it’s heart, it’s not a 4-alarm fire in a bowl. Instead it produces a rich, smokey sweet, confusingly complex flavor that, when combined with tender cubes of chuck, make for something that actually transcends everything y’all know about chili. See if I’m not exaggerating and you’re welcome in advance.

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