OTT Chilli: The Autumn/Winter Trend Made for the SmokePot

Smoke above. Chilli below.

The evenings are drawing in. The food gets richer. The kamado stays in action.

Over-the-top chilli, or OTT, is getting plenty of attention in BBQ circles this autumn. With winter ahead, it is easy to see the appeal: a pot of rich chilli, a generous hit of smoke and enough comfort food to make a cold evening worth cooking outside for.

And the KAMA GEAR SmokePot is the perfect weapon for the job.

What makes it over the top?

The name describes the setup. Seasoned beef mince cooks on a grate above an open pot of chilli. While the outside develops a smoky crust, the juices and rendered fat drip into the tomatoes, beans and spices underneath. Once cooked through, the beef is broken up and stirred into the pot to finish.

You get the flavour of smoked beef running through the whole dish, with little pieces of that crust in every bowl. Serve it over a jacket potato, pile it onto nachos or keep it simple with rice and a spoonful of sour cream. That is autumn and winter cooking sorted.

Why the SmokePot makes sense

The SmokePot brings the two parts of this cook together. Its 5.7-litre enamelled cast iron pot holds the chilli base, while the two supplied cast iron grates give you a cooking surface above it. The slots let the drippings fall into the pot as the beef smokes.

It is a practical setup for OTT cooking, with the same pot carrying the chilli through to its final simmer. Leave room for the beef when filling it: 5.7 litres is the pot's capacity, not a target for the sauce alone.

The right setup for the cook

Use indirect heat, keep the SmokePot uncovered and close the kamado lid. The meat needs exposure to smoke; the chilli needs steady heat without a fierce fire directly underneath it.

1. Build a steady fire. Light your lumpwood charcoal and settle the kamado at around 140–150°C. If you want extra smoke, start with a small amount of suitable smoking wood. Both the beef and the open sauce will take on smoke.
2. Protect the bottom of the pot. Fit the heat deflectors for a full indirect setup. Support the SmokePot on a stable cooking grid above them, leaving an air gap between the pot and the deflectors. Keep it off the deflector surface itself. Our indirect cooking guide shows the kamado setup.
3. Get the chilli base ready. Soften your onions, peppers and garlic, then add your usual tomatoes, spices, cooked or tinned beans and stock. Transfer the hot base to the SmokePot if you prepared it in another pan. Keep it loose enough to simmer and leave space for the meat.
4. Set the beef above it. Shape seasoned mince into a compact mound or short loaf. Seat the supplied slotted grate securely on the pot's rim and place the beef over the centre of the pot, fully supported, so the drippings land inside. Check that the pot, grate and meat fit comfortably beneath the closed kamado lid.
5. Smoke, then check. Leave the SmokePot lid off and cook with the kamado lid closed. Check the sauce periodically, stir where accessible and add a splash of hot stock if it thickens too far. Use a clean probe in the centre of the beef: aim for 75°C for at least 30 seconds. Cook to temperature, rather than relying on a fixed time.
6. Bring it together. Wearing suitable heat-resistant gloves, remove the beef and hot grate, then break the beef into the chilli. Simmer gently for another 20–30 minutes, stirring and adjusting the consistency. Because the pot has collected raw meat juices, stir well and check the finished chilli reaches 75°C for at least 30 seconds throughout before tasting or serving.

The temperature guidance follows the Food Standards Agency's advice on cooking food thoroughly.

Cold evenings. Proper charcoal cooking.

OTT chilli gives the kamado a job long after summer. Make it mild, turn up the chilli or finish each bowl differently. The method gives you the smoke; the rest is yours to make your own.

Your grill. Your rules.

Explore the SmokePot