Recipe: Grandma’s Italian-Style Veal & Pork Chili

Every family has that one recipe that wraps itself around your heart the same way a warm bowl wraps around your hands. For me, that recipe is Grandma’s chili. Now—before any purists come for me—this isn’t your traditional Tex-Mex chili. No kidney beans, no blazing heat that makes you sweat through your shirt. Grandma made her chili the way she cooked everything—with intention, gentleness, and the unmistakable flavors of her Italian kitchen.

Ground veal and pork for richness and tenderness. Sweet green bell peppers. Italian tomatoes (San Marzano if the pantry gods were smiling). A splash of chicken stock that gave every spoonful the kind of depth that made you swear it had been simmering since sunrise.

This is comfort food with lineage. The kind you don’t just eat… you remember.

What You Need

Serves 6–8

• 1 lb ground veal

• 1 lb ground pork

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 2 green bell peppers, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed Italian tomatoes (San Marzano if possible)

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp chili powder

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt & black pepper, to taste

• Fresh parsley or basil, chopped, for garnish

  What You Do

  1. Brown the meat

  Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the veal and pork, season lightly, and cook until browned and crumbly. Break it up as you go. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

  2. Sauté the veggies

  In the same pot, sauté onions and peppers 5–7 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.

  3. Build the flavor

  Add tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Toast everything for about a minute—this is your flavor ignition switch.

  4. Simmer it slow

  Return the browned meat to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir, bring to a simmer, then drop the heat to low.

  5. Let it cook down

  Simmer 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and deeply flavorful.

  6. Taste and adjust

  Add salt, pepper, or more stock as needed. Trust your palate—it won’t steer you wrong.

  How to Serve It

  Grandma always set the table with:

  • A loaf of buttery garlic bread or crusty Italian bread

  • A snowfall of freshly grated Parmesan

  • Sometimes—if the stars aligned—crumbled cornbread over the top

  A Note from My Kitchen

  What I love most about this dish is how it marries two worlds I grew up in—the soulfulness of chili and the bold simplicity of Italian cooking. The veal brings tenderness, the pork adds depth, the tomatoes give brightness, and the slow simmer ties everything together like a good family story.

  This isn’t just chili.
  It’s a core memory—simmered slow, savored fully, and shared with love.