Zippy Pork Chili -- The Warmth That Carries a Mardi Gras Day Forward

Mardi Gras Day fell on Tuesday, March 5th, but in Louisiana the week of Mardi Gras belongs to the holiday entirely. I had Monday off school — Lundi Gras — and spent the day at home watching the Zulu parade on television with Daddy, who narrated the history of each krewe with the authority of someone who has been doing this for forty years. We ate leftover red beans and rice for lunch because Daddy said Mardi Gras food is red beans and rice and anyone who says otherwise is not a real Louisianan. I did not argue with him.

Tuesday was Fat Tuesday itself and MawMaw Shirley had people over — not a formal gathering, just the door open and food on the stove and whoever showed up showed up. I went mid-morning and helped her make jambalaya: a huge pot for the people who would drift in and out all day. Her jambalaya is the two-step kind — the rice cooked separately and folded in at the end, which keeps it from going mushy if the pot sits. She let me do most of the seasoning this time, tasting as I went, and when she tasted a final spoonful before I added the rice she nodded and said, "Leave it." Leave it means do not touch it. Leave it means you got it right. That is one of the highest things she says.

People did come: neighbors, cousins, Uncle Terrence with a friend. The house was full and loud and smelled like sausage and spices. I stayed until late afternoon and then walked home through streets that were slowly quieting down as the day wound toward evening. Fat Tuesday ends at midnight with Ash Wednesday and the season shifts entirely, the whole celebration put away in an hour. I always find that beautiful — the way Louisiana can hold the excess and the solemnity of it and move between them without contradiction.

I ate one last piece of king cake when I got home. Then I went to bed thinking about coastal wetlands and AP Chemistry and the way good jambalaya smells on a cold February day. My life felt very full and very real.

Standing over MawMaw Shirley’s jambalaya pot all morning — tasting, seasoning, earning that quiet “Leave it” — reminded me that the boldest cooking is really just about layering flavors with patience and confidence. This Zippy Pork Chili captures that same spirit: deep, spiced, and unapologetically satisfying in a way that feels right after a day full of parades, cousins, and cold February air. It’s not jambalaya, but it carries that same festive energy into a bowl you can make any time you need to feel like the house is full and the stove is doing its job.

Zippy Pork Chili

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the pork. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Add the spices. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to coat the meat and vegetables, cooking for about 1 minute to bloom the spices.
4. Build the chili. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juices), tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the beans. Stir in the kidney beans and black beans. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens and the flavors meld.
6. Taste and adjust. Taste the chili and adjust seasoning — more cayenne for heat, more salt as needed. This is the moment, like MawMaw would say, to decide whether to leave it or fix it.
7. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and sliced green onions. Serve with cornbread or crackers on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 780mg