Reviewed: Feb. 14, 2007

This is the BEST chili I have ever had! I have made it twice now in the past two weeks! Eventhough the flavor of the first batch tasted great, it was a bit too spicy for my palate. Therefore, the second batch I only used one habenero and one annaheim pepper. I found that when I reduced the peppers, the chili is just a bit too sweet. I will 1/2 the brown sugar the recipe calls for the next time I make it with less peppers. Also, the first time, I didn't have a dark beer on hand and used a domestic beer. The second time, I used New Castle and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! As others have suggested, I used 2 tablespoons of wasabi instead of the 1 that it calls for which really pumps up the deliciousness of the recipe! I served this last batch with some friends, topped with cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and slices of warm french bread. Fifteen minutes later, there wasn't a drop left!

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Reviewer:

JULIEMCI

Reviewed: Mar. 13, 2007

This chili is amazing! First of all, my wife hates chili, ooops, I meant Hates chili with a capital 'H.' I had some time one day to pull this together, and not only did I love it, but she did too. With the beer and coffee, it adds some original taste that makes the chili completely unique. It does take a little time to prepare for the first time, but it was well worth it.

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84 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

"The Artistic Culinarian"

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2007

This is the best chili I've ever tasted and I have tasted A LOT of chili. When making this recipe, I was a little concerned about how much chili powder was in the recipe, but it turned out to be just the right amount when blended with all the other spices and chili peppers. My health-conscious boyfriend did the shopping for this recipe and he substituted the spicy italian sausages with spicy turkey sausages and ground beef with ground turkey making this recipe delicious AND extra healthy. I used guiness for the dark beer, which my roommate was not too thrilled about since I stole one of his bottles, but he raved about the chili afterwards. Thanks Aaron for sharing the recipe.

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73 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Sandra Dee

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Rosemead, California, USA

Living In: Los Angeles, California, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 24, 2006

This chili was the perfect warmer-upper comfort food during the last two big power outages here in the Seattle area. I made it on a propane camp stove, and since I couldn't get to the store, I substituted for some of the ingredients with what we had on hand (canned roasted California chiles instead of fresh chiles, sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy, chicken instead of beef, a smaller amount of cayenne instead of chili powder). Instead of prepared wasabi, which is expensive and not something I keep on hand, I mixed a tablespoon of prepared horseradish with a pinch of two of turmeric (virtually the same thing, taste-tested and approved by my Japanese daughter-in-law). Now the only question is: If I make it again, will the power stay on?

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44 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Irene

Reviewed: Sep. 18, 2006

Very flavorful but a little on the greasy side. I would sugguest you drain the fat/grease from the pot after the meat and sausage is done cooking. Will try that next time and see if it comes out better. Thanks for the recipe

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38 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Samantha

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Highland, California, USA

Living In: Yucaipa, California, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 22, 2002

This chili rocks! The wasabi, sausage, and multiple kinds of peppers really add depth of flavor. I always substitute ground beef with 2 cups of texturized vegetable protein (TVP) to make it a little healthier (add 2 extra cups of liquid if you try this). The beer I used was perfect for the recipe, too: Alaskan Brewery's Smoked Porter - they smoke the malt with alderwood before brewing...try it if you can find it. This will be added to my growing arsenal of awesome chili recipes from allrecipes...thanks Aaron! Deee--LISH

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36 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Always Cooking Up Something

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2007

This Chili is the BEST! My family loved it and asked for extra helpings! Follow the recipe as written - don't leave anything out - the dark beer and wasabi paste is a must! Nice and spicy with a hint of sweet which is exactly how we like our chili.

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31 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

NIKATNITE8

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Corning, New York, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 11, 2006

This is a great chili but to sweet and soupy for me. Next time I’ll leave out the sugar, drain the cans of beans and use a full pound of Italian sausage and see how it is then.

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30 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Haematite

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2006

Outstanding Chili! Weird recipe but great taste.

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29 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Highlandmoose

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Sunderland, Tyne And Wear, England, U.K.

Living In: High Point, North Carolina, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2007

I make this every year for Superbowl and many other times throughout the year. Everyone I know LOVES it. Even if they think they make the best chili, they still agree that this recipe is better. Amazing flavor - even my spice hating kids will eat it!

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28 users found this review helpful