In our neck of the woods, we’re deep into sweater weather, which also means it’s still comfort food weather. A hearty bowl of chili can be just the thing to warm you up and satisfy your taste buds with great flavor. But how tasty and flavorful it is depends on what you put in it. At the end of the day, not all chili recipes are created equal. While the beans, tomatoes, and perfect blend of spices all play an important part, the real unsung hero of a truly exceptional chili (and any recipe for that matter) is the ground beef. At Schweid & Sons, we pride ourselves on quality ground beef, which is why every recipe from our kitchen is drool-worthy!

So, don’t sabotage your entire dish by grabbing just any package from the meat case. Instead, choose a quality ground beef to ensure a richer, more flavorful, and texturally satisfying bowl of chili.

What exactly does quality ground beef add to your chili? Let’s break it down…

Superior Flavor with the Right Lean-To-Fat Ratio

The right ratio has a direct impact on the overall flavor of your chili recipe.

• When ground beef cooks, the fat in it renders and coats the other ingredients in the chili, like the onions, the peppers, and the spices. This fat also carries through to the liquid base of the chili, making that meaty, savory flavor throughout.
• Low-quality or beef that does not have enough fat just doesn’t make the cut when it comes to a flavorful chili.
• The gold standard is an 80/20 ratio, like our Butcher’s Blend 1lb Ground Beef Brick. This ratio strikes the perfect balance: it’s not too fatty (meaning you won’t have a greasy layer sitting on top), but it has just enough fat to maintain the flavor and juiciness of the ground beef, ensuring your chili is incredibly rich and flavorful.

The Right Texture

Dry and grainy are not words you want to use to describe your chili. That’s what you’ll get with low-quality ground beef. A tender, hearty bowl of chili is what you’re after, and the quality of your beef dictates the texture.

• If beef is low-quality or too lean, it can often become tough, dry, or even develop a grainy texture when cooked for an extended period, like a chili would be.
• With high-quality ground beef, you get bigger, more robust crumbles of cooked ground beef that provide a satisfying, beefy chew and prevent the meat from just disappearing into the sauce. 

A Better Sear and Better Flavor

Before you even start compiling your chili, browning your meat is key.

• Quality ground beef with the ideal fat content allows for better searing and browning. This is known as the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that creates those deep, complex savory flavors when your ground beef hits a hot surface. A lesser quality beef might just steam or grey instead of developing a yummy crust, and as a result, your chili will fall flat.  

When you start with the right ingredients, a great bowl of chili can truly be an experience that is comforting, complex, and deeply savory. Using quality ground beef with the right lean-to-fat ratio, like Schweid & Sons The Butcher’s Blend Ground Beef Brick, ensures that the single largest ingredient in your pot enhances, rather than detracts from, your chili masterpiece.

Go for quality like Schweid & Sons, and your next pot of chili will taste the difference. Find our Ground Beef Chili recipe here to and elevate your chili game in seconds!

• Do you have a favorite secret ingredient for chili? Tag Schweid & Sons on Instagram using @schweidandsons or #schweidandsons and let us know in the comments!
• Shop all of the available Schweid & Sons premium ground beef blends online.
• Look for Schweid & Sons premium ground beef at your favorite local store.
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