Chili

[Susan G]

I've got chili in the crockpot now, and in eight hours I will be feasting!

Beef stew meat, some ground chuck, lots of onions, garlic and cumin. Chunky tomatoes. Enough cayenne to make me need sour cream as a topping! Black pepper. Pinto and black beans.

I have no truck with green bell peppers. To me, this is heretical.

[chiquitalinda]

My current favorite chili has ground beef, chorizo, pinto beans, tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos, serranos, onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, chile powder, cumin, oregano and beer. Finished w/ cilantro, topped w/ sour cream and cheese if I'm in the mood.

[fifi]

After a serious teleconference with my son, he tells me that I do cheat on the recipe. So I lied. I believe him because that would be more my style and he has a photographic memory so this will be pretty close. I have bumped up the seasonings, made some chili substitutions, and deleted green bell peppers. So, after editing the original file based on his recollection of the last time we made it, here is the recipe "based on" the original.

Bodacious Chili

Adapted from the recipe in Southern Living

2 lbs chuck in ½” cubes

2 large onions chopped

3 stalks celery cut in 1” pieces

1 large red bell pepper chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms (Portobellos are really good)

4 cloves garlic minced

3 T olive oil

Start meat in oil and when beginning to brown add other ingredients. Continue to cook on med-high until vegetables begin to cook.

Stir in:

3 T cocoa

3 T ancho chili powder

1 t cayenne or arbol (optional)

1 t ground cumin

2 t cumin seeds

2 t dried Mexican oregano

2 t paprika

1 t ground tumeric

½ t salt

1 t ground cardamom

1 t ground pepper

1 T molasses

3/4 cup red wine

2 cans chopped tomatoes

1 can drained kidney beans

1 can drained garbanzos

Simmer covered for 1 ½ hours.

[FistFullaRoux]

I like the following variation - half pork/half beef, ground. Dried chilis, a bit of onion, a bit of garlic, chicken/beef stock. spiced with cumin/cayenne/fresh hot peppers. I like the beans. I occasionally like tomato. (Edited to add - I don't mind tomato paste. Not a big fan of the "dump a can of tomatoes into it" style.)

The keys here are the cumin, the peppers, and the fact that it is slow cooked. There are fast chilis, but I don't care for them. They have no subtlety. They taste like tomato, or pepper. No combination that can only be obtained by a couple hours over low heat in a big pot.

Chili should not be cooked fast. Chili should not be cooked in small batches. Other than that, I'm willing to give anything a try.

Edited September 23, 2004 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Mulcahy]

This topic is very timely. Made my first batch of fall chili on the opening Sunday of the NFL season, and we're having some of the frozen leftovers tonight. I like my chili (as does hubby) very chunky and very spicy.

I use cubed beef. No beans (not because we don't like them, but because I find they freeze and reheat poorly). Bacon Lardons. Onion. Garlic. Red Pepper. Beef Broth. Beer. Can of crushed tomatoes. Lots of fresh chilis (including at least one habanero). Chili powder. Tons of cumin. Dark chocolate. Beer. Tomato Paste. Tomatillos. Cayenne (sometimes). Sometimes I add other stuff (like shredded carrots) to balance the flavors.

I am very late to the chili game. Embarassingly, chili was one of the first things I cooked for my husband, when I thought that chili could be made by mixing ground beef with a McCormick "Chili" seasoning packet. (Hides head in shame). Thankfully I learned differently.

I now make mine in a Le Creuset dutch oven over low heat for many hours.

Serve it with rice (if desired) or cornbread or biscuits. Always served with sour cream, freshly diced onions, and grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Mmmm.

[eunny jang]

Seared-off cubes of chuck. Tomatoes, onions, oregano, crushed chilis, plenty of cumin. Long-cooked. Beans on the side if you must. Zero-sugar cornbread with scallins and bacon baked in. Diced white onions. Sour cream on the side.

[Behemoth]

Black beans, ground pork, chopped peeled tomatoes. Green peppers, but only if they're Poblano and Jalapeño. Lots of garlic. Guajillo pepper powder. Beer. Leftover coffee. Cocoa powder. Whatever it takes to balance the flavors. It should be a little sweet, fairly acid, quite hot, a little sour, a tad bitter, mildly smoky, plenty salty. If I serve it with enough grated cheddar and sour cream, even the younger, spice-averse Moras will eat it.

Heresy, for sure. Perhaps I should call it something besides chili, but no matter. It's still f****** awesome.

Yeah! I stirfry a tbsp of mole paste with the onion, garlic and cumin at the start, and add beer along with tomatoes as the liquid. I usually have chipotles around too, so I throw those in as well, to make it nice and red and smoky. Vinegar at the end to give it a sour edge. I do like to add pink kidney beans to mine, otherwise my spouse is very likely to consume an entire pound of beef in one sitting, and I would rather have him last me through retirement. Plus I like beans.

Edited September 23, 2004 by Behemoth (log)

[fifi]

*Bless me for I have sinned*

This evil thread has forced me to do something I hate to admit. After Mayhaw Man's mention of it, I developed a craving for Frito pie. I went to the store for the sole purpose of procuring a small can of Wolf Brand chili and a bag of regular Fritos. (Wolf Brand was what my mother always kept on hand for those impromptu, just got home from school, Frito pies.) My observation is that Frito pie with really good chili just wouldn't be the same.

I now have two questions:

Have you noticed how hard it is to find that bag of plain, original Fritos?

Does chunky salsa verde qualify as a vegetable?

[snowangel]

Does chunky salsa verde qualify as a vegetable?

←

Why, of course. Just as the fritos are a "grain." One can justify anything.

[Kapuliperson]

I love it with my beans..

[fifi]

Why, of course.  Just as the fritos are a "grain."  One can justify anything.

←

Thank you. I feel so much better now.

[Carlovski]

Does chunky salsa verde qualify as a vegetable?

←

I think it counts for at least 3.

All you need are some chips and some jalapenos on the side, and there's your 5 protions a day right there!

[KatieLoeb]

As soon as RecipeGullet is back up and operational I'll post a link to my chili cookoff winning Turkey, Black Bean and Chorizo chili. It's pretty tasty and definitely has some good deep flavors going on in it. The flavoring paste is the secret, and using only dried chiles not fresh ones and toasting them in a dry pan first.

[suzilightning]

So my question is-how do you like it? Beans or no beans. Chunky or smooth like demented hot sauce? This subject can get pretty testy, so let's keep it friendly. If there needs to be any name calling, I'll do it.

ok, brooks.

love frito pie from living in east texas.

my mom made "sweet chili". beans, ground beef, tomatoes and sugar.

learned bowl of red in texas. finely minced beef - not ground beef -, onion, chiles minced up, chili powder, and beer. and only turn the beef once.

also like cinncinati chili with the cinnamon and 7 way over spaghetti

i just made a batch that was minced beef,onion, minced chilies(poblano), cumin, oregano, and beer. when cooked down i added some chili de arbol sauce and some black beans. went with some heated tortillas and some grated cheese.

[Marlene]

Sorry Snowangel, but I love my cheddar cheese on chili. I'd put sour cream on in except no one likes it in my house except me.

[patti]

Have you noticed how hard it is to find that bag of plain, original Fritos?

←

Yeah, I think you have to buy a big Frito-Lay variety pack to get the small bag of plain Fritos.

[patti]

Today I realize that I have never tasted real chili before, but now I have seen the light! Thanks to this thread (and to Penzeys Spices), I made an outstanding batch of chili. My ingredient list is directly based on the ingredients people listed in this thread, and they include the following:

2 lbs. cubed beef (seasoned w/ Tony Chachere's spice mix)

Italian sausage (2 links, removed from casing, crumbled)

chopped onions, bell pepper, garlic

2 dried ancho peppers

2 dried guajillo peppers

1 can chopped tomatoes

beer (Shiner Bock was on hand)

beef broth

2 T. medium hot chili powder

2 tsp. ground red chipotle pepper

1 T sweet paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 tsp. cocoa

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Seared the beef and sausage in EVOO, tossed in and wilted the chopped veggies, added the dry ingredients, followed by the beef broth and beer. I've never used dried chiles before, so wasn't sure what the best method was. Ended up covering the peppers with water in a bot, bringing it to a boil and then removing it from the heat, allowing it to sit for a few minutes. Removed the seeds and stems and put the peppers in the blender to make a paste before adding it to the pot. (Further reading leads me to believe I didn't need to do it this way, any comments?) Simmered the chili on a low fire all afternoon, and damn! Very good stuff, I must say. I didn't even use any toppings yet because I wanted to taste nothing but the chili. Will use chopped raw onions and grated sharp cheddar later.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread for inspiring me to make real chili, instead of the stuff I previously called chili.

Edited October 3, 2004 by patti (log)

[fifi]

Just a tip on the peppers. Before rehydrating, I cut them open with scissors, cut the stem out and shake out the seeds. It is just easier to do in the dry state. Then, I put the strips of pepper in a bowl, pour near boiling water over them and let sit for about 20 minutes.

Chili is an endlessly fascinating dish. Even the simplest is surprisingly good.

[patti]

Thanks for that, Fifi. It was struggle to remove the seeds without losing some pulp, and I was wondering what the best method might be. I'll do it your way next time.

[beetee]

This is my base chili recipe that I'm always tinkering around with. I usually make it atleast 3 times a month. Pretty standard recipe.

2 lb beef chuck - 1/4 inch dice

2 Hot Italian sausages - Casings removed

1 Onion diced

3 Cloves Garlic chopped

1 Heaping TBSP Cumin

1 Heaping TBSP Mexican Oregano

3 Chipotles

3 Guajillos

2 Habaneros

Olive oil or lard for frying

2 28 Oz. Cans Peeled Plum Tomatoes

Salt

Toast the chilis and spices in a cast iron skillet and finely grind. Heat Le Creuset over medium heat and add small amout of fat for frying. Cut beef into cubes and season with salt. Brown beef and Italian sausages in small batches and set aside. Sweat the onion and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes. Crush tomatoes and add along with half a tomatoe can of water. Bring tomatoes to a boil and add spices, chilis, and oregano. Add the meat and return to a boil. Reduce to a very low heat and cook for a minimum of 3 hours. Stir occassionally.

Garnishes: Sour cream, strong cheddar cheese, chives, cast iron fried eggs (break yolk into chili), hot sauce, cilantro, nachos.

Serve with side of beans or on top of rice.

Can substitue finely chopped frech chilis for dried chilis or use a combination of both. I also substitute a bottle of beer for a can of tomatoes sometimes.

[Carrot Top]

Whooo-eee. An eGullet Chili Cookoff Contest would surely be a fearsome thing to behold.

Starting with...who would dare to volunteer to judge? (Although the eating benefits would surely be great...)

Nullo Modo is the only one in this thread that has mentioned okra in his chili. Pickled okra. (Sounds good to me...)

I wonder what the resident Okra Expert thinks. Okra with chili. Should it be added, (pickled or not)...or fried up and served as a side...or made into a foam and extruded from a spray can onto the top of the chili bowl?

Does okra go with chili?

[fifi]

Does okra go with chili?

←

NO!

[Mayhaw Man]

NO!

←

Fifi shows her limited imagination. She should get out more.

If you like okra in your chili, then of course okra can go in your chili. Fusion cooking at it's most adventuresome.

[joiei]

if you put okra in your chili, wouldn't that make it gumbo?

[StudentChefEclipse]

I swear I have seen an old James Beard recipe for squid in chili. I repeat Fifi's

NO!