The Pokey Smokers

Adapted from Jim Weller’s Macktown Chili.

Ingredients

• 3.4 lbs beef chuck shoulder steak (2 supermarket packs)
• 14 oz beef stock
• 14 oz turkey stock
• 1 8-ounce can Hunts tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tapatio mexican hot sauce (substitute Tabasco)
• salt
• spice mix, recipe follows

Chili Spice Mix

• 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) New Mexico chile powder
• 2 tablespoons Chipotle chile powder (Sizzler - substituted 1 heaping teaspoon de Arbol)
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot

Note: the first time we made this chili recipe, as Jori remembers it was much better when using fresh garlic and onion instead of powdered. 1/5/07 — chili starts simmering at 12 noon.

Directions

Heat 4 1/2 quart dutch oven over turkey fryer flame. Add 1 tablespoon oil and brown cubed meat in batches. Remove meat and deglaze with stock. Return meat to dutch oven.

Add stock, tomato sauce, and three quarters of the chili spice mix. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer.

Simmer for two hours. Stir in hot sauce and remaining chili spice mix. If the chili is too thick, add a bit of water or beer.

Simmer for another 30 minutes or until tender. Season with salt.

Cool chili and fill 32 oz turn-in container and allow to mellow overnight. Consume remaining chili with gusto.

At 1PM, reheat chili for 2PM turnin.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fillets of striped bass or other similar fish
• 1 cup Lawry’s mesquite and lime marinade
• 1 1/2 limes
• Salt to taste
• 2 or more large flour tortillas
• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon cumin, or more as desired
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, or more as desired

Directions

Place fish fillets in shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over fillets, add juice of 1 lime. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Cut 3 small tortillas out of each large tortilla.

Soak 1/2 cup of shredded cabbage in remaining lime juice. Arrange remaining shredded cabbage on platter.

Combine sour cream, cumin and chipotle powder. Put mixture into squeeze bottle.

Preheat smoker to 200 degrees.

Transfer fillets to smoker, skin side down. Pour a little marinade over fillets. Smoke for 45-50 minutes or until flesh is opaque and flakes easily.

While fish is smoking, grill tortillas on separate heat source, over high heat. Leave tortillas on heat for just long enough to color.

Remove fish from smoker. Flake into bite-sized chunks with fork, discarding skin. Season fish chunks with salt as needed.

Line each tortilla with lime-soaked shredded cabbage, then fill with fish chunks. Top with a squiggle of sour cream mixture, then tuck in avocado chunks.

Arrange tacos on platter, mounding shredded cabbage for support and decoration.