Long story short, I recently read a stupid novel which took place in the South and "Meemaw's" much referenced chili was made with root beer, which intrigued me enough to make me think about it as a possibility. You are going to have to trust me on this one. I had my misgivings as well but then I remembered ham cooked with coca cola and decided that I would give it a try.
The chili was excellent but I don't know if that is thanks to the root beer or the fact that it contains 2 kinds of meat and two kinds of beans. Since I was experimenting with root beer as the only chili ingredient set in stone, I kept on flinging things into the pot and the end result really worked despite a slightly discombobulated approach. It also made 10 generous portions so you will have plenty for the freezer.
1 lb boneless shortribs
1 lb ground short rib meat
2 cups dried pinto beans *
2 cans black beans
3 cups root beer
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juice
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp hot paprika
1 -2 chilis in adobo (these come in a can in the international food section of most local supermarkets)
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Salt
* The night before you make this, measure the pinto beans into a bowl and cover with water. Set aside until needed to rehydrate. Drain before using.
Preheat the oven to 325.
Cut the short ribs into 1 inch chunks. Salt well on all sides.
Use a very large pot that is both oven and stove top safe. Over medium heat, heat the oil until right below smoking point. Add the short rib pieces and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until well browned. remove from the pan with tongs.
Add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook for a minute or so, until fragrant, stirring often.
Remove from the heat and add all of the other ingredients, except for the black beans. Stir well to combine and then cover before placing in the oven. You will want to add a little salt for flavor as well, keeping in mind that some of the salt from seasoning the meat will leach out into the sauce.
Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the spare rib meat is tender and falls apart when pulled at between 2 forks. Check every hour and add a bit of water if the mixture is too dry. (This shouldn't happen but you never know).
About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve the dish, shred the short rib pieces into smaller ones. Cook the ground meat in a skillet with some salt until very little pink remains.
Add it to the chili and stir in. Stir in the black beans as well and heat through. Check for seasoning. If you want more heat, stir in a bit more of the adobo sauce which will add both smoke and heat.
You can eat the chili as is or you can serve it with toppings on the side. I offered sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, chopped avocado and fried strips of tortilla as illustrated below. I put hot sauce out for those who wanted more heat as well.
