Prepare your smoker as needed and preheat it to the temperature of 225°. For this dish we’ll be using a stronger wood in hickory.
Remove the ground beef from the package and press it down so that it is just about an inch thick.
Place the ground beef on a rack while in a heat resistant pan allowing the air to circulate.
Smoke for 2 hours.
Preparing the Chili
Using a large pot, sear diced bacon first, until it’s mostly done and add your smoked ground beef. Beak it up as much as you can and mix and cook until most of the meat had turned dark. Take it all out of the pot and set aside.
Add a little more oil if needed and sauté onions and peppers until mostly softened. Once softened, make room for minced garlic and sauté until garlic is fragrant.
Mix everything and add back in the meats.
Drain beans and add them to the pot. Add can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and all the seasoning. Mix everything very well and stir in the beef stock.
Bring the chili to a low boil and then lower the heat to low. Cover with a lid but leave a small crack for the steam to escape. Cook on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remember to stir from time to time!
Transfer your cooked chili into a heat resistant panand smoke your chili for an additional hour to infuse more smoke.