Chili – Cook-Off 15

[TongoRad]

I've used port before and gotten good results, but my mainstay is definitely beer. What was it about the beer that you didn't like? I will either use a Scotch Ale or a Cream Stout myself- something malty with a roasty backbone ( a peaty Scotch Ale is also doubly good if you're using chipotles in your blend.) A half of a can, or bottle, seems about right.

[Ktepi]

I've used port before and gotten good results, but my mainstay is definitely beer. What was it about the beer that you didn't like? I will either use a Scotch Ale or a Cream Stout myself- something malty with a roasty backbone ( a peaty Scotch Ale is also doubly good if you're using chipotles in your blend.) A half of a can, or bottle, seems about right.

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It was too ... hoppy, I think. Maybe too bitter. The problem may be that I don't drink beer very often, and 90% of the time when I do, I'm actually drinking lambic, which would be weird in chili. The other ten percent is Rolling Rock or Abita, usually with seafood or, well, chili. I don't remember all the beers I've tried in chili, but I know I've used Abita Turbo Dog, Corona, and Dos Equis (the Rolling Rock didn't strike me as appropriate).

In the house right now, I have Rolling Rock, Abita Christmas Ale, some kind of blueberry ale (okay, that's not going in), and Newscastle Brown Ale.

[TongoRad]

When I add beer I'm usually thinking sugar first, then a bit of acidity, ( almost like a tomato substitute) and then all of those other complexities are really icing on the cake. With that in mind I don't think that your using the Sweet vermouth will do any damage, and could quite probably give you a good result. I think your aversion to the hoppy, bitter beers is spot-on in this context and the beers you have on hand probably won't do as good a job as the vermouth.

Edited February 2, 2006 by TongoRad (log)

[phatj]

I might as well throw my recipe in the mix. My wife, our two best friends (and frequent dinner companions) and a number of our friends' friends (for whom the friends once made this chili) have all raved about it.

8 ounces good, super-thick-cut bacon (slab if possible), cut into ~1/4" cubes

2 pounds beef chuck, cubed or cut in strips

2 or 3 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)

Olive oil or other fat as needed

10 cloves garlic, 5 cut into thick slices, 5 minced

1 (or more, depending on taste) fresh jalapeno, stem and seed removed, minced

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons ground cumin, or to taste

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves or ½ tablespoon ground oregano, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground thyme, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

3 tablespoons white flour

1 pint good dark beer, such as Guinness Stout

1 cup good beef stock, plus more as needed

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (14 ounce) cans red kidney beans (optional)

Large round sourdough loafs, cut into bread bowls (if available), freshly cooked white rice otherwise

Scallions, sliced

Cheddar, shredded

Sour cream

1. Brown bacon in large stockpot over medium heat. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve, leaving bacon fat in pot.

2. Turn heat to high. Brown cut-up beef quickly in bacon fat (in batches if necessary). Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

3. Turn heat to medium. Add onions and the sliced garlic to the remaining bacon fat. Add a splash of additional oil or other fat if necessary. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir frequently for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften.

4. Turn heat to medium-low and stir in jalapeno. Stir every five minutes or so until the onion and garlic are well caramelized. Add a splash of olive oil and lower the heat if it becomes too dry. Allow at least 30 minutes.

5. Add reserved browned beef to pot. Stir until well mixed with onion mixture. Stir in dry spices and herbs and flour until beef and onions are well coated. Cook, stirring frequently, about five minutes.

6. Add beer and stock. Scrape bottom of pot well. Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium or medium-low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, scraping bottom.

7. Add molasses, vinegar, tomatoes, and remaining garlic. Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or more.

8. Add beans, if desired, about 30 minutes before serving. Add reserved bacon and minced garlic about 15 minutes before serving. Add additional stock if chili becomes too dry (consistency should be thick and stew-like). Adjust seasoning and serve.

9. Serve in sourdough bread bowls (if you can find them) or over white rice otherwise. Garnish with sliced scallions, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.

Notes:

All measurements approximate.

I hate beans, but I've separated this into two batches in step 8 and added 1 can of beans to one batch for those friends who like beans in chili. I'm told it was good with the beans.

When I've made this for the aforementioned friends, I served the following with the chili:

Cool Cucumbers

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

3 cloves garlic, or to taste, roughly chopped

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

½ teaspoon dill seeds, or to taste

10 peppercorns

1 large cucumber, unpeeled, cut in ¼" slices

1 tablespoon EVOO

1. Combine first eight ingredients in advance to allow flavors to mingle. Refrigerate in covered container.

2. Pour mixture into bowl. Allow solids to settle to bottom.

3. Add cucumber slices.

4. Drizzle olive oil on top.

5. Serve as a side dish with chili.

Gazpacho

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

½ fresh jalapeno, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro leaves

1 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Juice of one lime

1 large cucumber, unpeeled, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 large (56 ounce?) can tomato juice (not tomato soup!)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tray ice cubes or equivalent water (about 1 ½ cups)

1. Combine oil, herbs, spices and lime juice in large bowl or pot.

2. Add chopped vegetables, tomato juice, vinegar and salt.

3. Best if prepared about 1 day in advance. If preparing just before serving, float ice cubes on top of bowl. Otherwise, add water with tomato juice.

4. Serve after chili.

[Ktepi]

The Superbowl chili is in the oven:

I cooked some chopped bacon in the Dutch oven until the fat had fried out; browned 2 pounds pork ribs and put them aside; fried 2 onions and 2 peppers in that; added 1 pound chorizo, 2 pounds ground beef, and kept it cooking until everything was browned and the liquid had cooked off; added half a cup of sweet vermouth and cooked that off, then half a cup of cream and did the same; added my seasonings and the pork ribs, covered it with stock, and into the oven it's gone.

Judging by the smell, the vermouth won't be a problem, but we'll see -- for all I know it'll clash with the cumin or something. I don't anticipate that, though, and in that quantity I can't imagine the flavor will be pronounced -- I just wanted a little added richness and complexity.

The bacon will go in later, as I add more stock here and there to keep it wet all day. Tomatoes will go in mid-afternoon, which is when I figure the ribs will have cooked off the bone -- I'll taste it at that point, too, and see how the heat's doing, add some chipotle if it's too tame or flat. I'll serve it tomorrow with beans, more bacon (dessert includes a stab at bacon ice cream), Colby cheese, sour cream, scallions.

[snowangel]

Another venison chili (I have a lot of venison). I should add that we needed a dinner tonight that could be eaten as people had time to eat. And, I have no car this week. So, it was what was available.

Again, some in small cubes (1/4-1/2", some what irregular). Some cans of odd tomatoes, some beans I cooked up earlier, an odd blend that some would call chili powder (based on some odd bits off dried, ground peppers in the pantry). Onions. Garlic. There were also a couple of cans of Rotel tomatoes languising in the pantry. I also found a few roasted green peppers, and a couple of roasted poblanos in the freezer when I cleaned it just a week ago, that I was glad I didn't toss.

Somehow, something seemed missing until I espeied that 1/3 of a jar of some chipotle salsa in the fridge. Now, I don't really like this salsa on it's own, but it makes a great ingredient, and made this chili just pop.

On the side, cilantro, finely diced raw onion and cheese, for those who wanted. I opted for just cilantro and onion.

Yum! I have 6 quarts left. Some parceled into single serving sizes for lunches for me, and a few meal sized containers for the family.

[Shaya]

Here is my very belated contribution!

Last week my sweetie asked if I could make chili sometime. As I'm not a fan of big chunky tomatoes and onions and peppers, I had to come up with my personal twist. Reading this thread really inspired me, thanks to you all for coming to my rescue!

Chili made with finely cubed rump roast, white beans, corn, London Porter (a dark English ale), molasses, tomato, ancho, chipotle and jalapeno chiles, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, paprika, and cayenne. Topped with grated cheddar. Even the kids ate it happily, they did not seem to notice all the chilis!

Edited February 27, 2006 by Shaya (log)

[Chris Amirault]

That porter sounds like a great idea.... Sort of like the chocolate that I often use. Looks swell!

[Shaya]

Thanks Chris, I thought you'd be happy that I used cubed beef rather than ground.

All the talk on this thread about the melting quality of cubed versus ground prompted me to pull out McGee last night - nothing like reading about the muscular structure of animal flesh at bedtime... But it does make sense the way he describes the role that marbling plays in rendering a very tender final product after long slow cooking.

[divalasvegas]

I hope I'm posting this request in the right place. I quickly scanned all eight pages of this cook-off which is most impressive. Tonight I would like to attempt to make Cincinnati-style chili for which I'm having a major craving. This style of chili was discussed here and there was a recipe for Skyline Chili posted by mizducky. But between this recipe and the tons of those I saw on the internet there's a great deal of variation. The only consistent ingredients to all of these recipes is ground beef and salt. Depending on the recipe, the other ingredients mentioned are as follows:

Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, beef stock, beef bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, garlic, onions, green pepper, celery, chiles of various kinds or none at all, chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, coriander seed, cloves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, chopped unsweetened chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder, and on and on.

I've got approximately 2 lbs. of 80/20 ground beef that I'm willing to experiment with but I just need some guidance on which ingredients/proportions should be used for 2 lbs. of ground beef. For instance for that amount of meat, I've read through several recipes calling for both one bay leaf and five bay leaves, for there to be anywhere from 1/4 tsp. to a tbs. of cinnamon, for a tbs. of chili powder to 1/3 cup.

I know that this isn't supposed to be a very spicy chili and should be rather loose in consistency. Any insight on reproducing this style of chili made by early Greek immigrants to Ohio? I've had this in restaurants a few times and would appreciate a homestyle recipe or even a knock off restaurant recipe.

Many thanks.

[eje]

This time I did sort of "slow chili". First time I've tried it with dry beans; but, given the results, it won't be the last.

Picked through a cup of Rancho Gordo Anasasi beans, washed and soaked over night.

At about 3 PM the next day I dumped the soaking water and poured the beans into my trusty dutch oven along with 3 cloves of garlic (peeled), 1 small onion (roughly chopped), 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp mexican oregano, and two bay leaves, covered with water, and brought to a boil. Lidded dutch oven, and placed in a 325 oven.

An hour or so later I chopped up one large onion, one bell pepper, and three more cloves garlic. Browned one pound ground beef, removed from pan, drained excess oil. Sweated until tender, onions, peppers and garlic along with 2 TBSP chili powder, 1 tsp hot smoked spanish paprika, and 1 tsp. salt.

Checked beans for doneness, and added good portion of salt, 1 14 oz can diced tomato, 1 14 oz can tomato sauce, beef, sauteed onion and chili powder mixture, 1 more tablespoon chili powder, and 1 bottle Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale. Brought back to a boil on top of the stove, and returned to oven.

About 45 minutes later, checked seasoning again, and served it with grated sharp cheddar, sour cream, rice and flour tortillas. One of the most delicious and clean tasting chilis I can remember making.

edit - add instruction to remove beef from pan.

Edited May 9, 2006 by eje (log)

[Ktepi]

A bunch of ramps on the wilt, lots of green garlic, and fresh chorizo bought on a whim collided into lily chili: a bit of every allium I have available (ramp, two kinds of garlic, onion, shallot, scallion; no leeks or chives), green bell pepper, fresh cayenne pepper, chorizo, 80% ground beef, pinto beans.

It smells really, really good, but I think that's because of the chorizo. I have a few more ramps in case, as I suspect, the ramp flavor isn't as pronounced because of the cooking.

[Richard Kilgore]

It's chili season again, so I made a pot based on Work in Progress Chili in RecipeGullet, contributed by Huevos del Toro. This has become my favorite starting place when making chili, since it has all the basics for Texas style chili, but begs to be played with.

This time I substituted Ancho chili powder for "Pure" chili powder, as I usually do, and also substituted a fine smoked Spanish Pimenton for his Hungarian paprika. I considered making my own tomato sauce from quality canned tomatoes, but opted for a can of Rotel Green Chili Tomatoes in the interest of time. I left out the Balsamic vinegar and ground lightly the cumin seeds after roasting them. In the past I have been reluctant to use more than two or three wedges off a disc of Mexican chocolate, but this time I chopped a whole disc and added it just to see. In addition to the reserved juices from browning the cubed chuck, I added a little beef stock and Dos Equis beer, resulting in about 2 1/4 cups of liquid.

This was terrific! The chocolate did not overwhelm as I feared, but was well balanced and complemented the heat.

[Tim Dolan]

Ok so last night I made the first pot of chili that I ever made in my life. I am a complete novice when it comes to chili, but despite that, I think my first batch was promising. There is much room for improvement, but I came up with a general guideline that I can build upon. I'll post the recipe that I used and then ask for tips to make it better.

Truth be told, after I bought my ingredients, I lost the recipe that I was going to use so I just eyeballed everything. That's part of the fun, right? I mean, this ain't chemistry. More like alchemy, I guess. And if you're a chili "purist", please don't take offense to this. Like I said, I barely know what I'm doing. Anyway, here's what I used:

2 lbs. chuck steak (1 inch dice)

1 lb. smoked sausage (cut out of the casing and crumbled)

1 can crushed tomatoes

A few cups, maybe 2, 2 and a half altogether of beef stock

About 6 cloves of garlic

3 jalepenos and 2 big, bright orange bell peppers (roasted, peeled and seeded)

2 tbs ancho chili powder

2 tbs cayenne pepper

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs cumin

About a cup of red wine

A few dashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce

2 tbs of flour to thicken

I browned the steak and sausage in a little bit of chile-infused olive oil, added the dry spices towards the end of browning, then added the beef stock and tomatoes. I pureed the peppers and garlic and added them as well (I like the consistency better this way). Brought the whole thing to a nice simmer and let it go for about an hour and a half.

The results were pretty good, good enough to instill confidence that it can get way better. I like where the heat is at, kind of a lingering heat for the back of the throat, but I need some more tang for the front and sides of the tongue. Anyone know what I should add that will give me this?

Also, the flour is a short cut and you can tell. Not a terrible short cut, but not one that I really like. I guess there's no way around letting the whole thing reduce to the desired consistency? The longer it simmers, the thicker the sauce gets and the more tender the meat gets, right? Any help would be appreciated.

[ChefCrash]

Sounds pretty good. I'd add two cups of diced onions, and divide the spices, add them in 2 intervals, one about 10 minutes before the end.

[heidih]

Plus I would forget the flour and use cornmeal (preferably toasted a bit) if you need to thicken

[chappie]

I won a 19-entry chili cookoff with a batch I made Saturday into Sunday. I wish I wrote everything down, but when I make chili there are a lot of tiny adjustments. It basically went like:

Peel and break up five chorizos, brown, remove while reserving fat.

Add five chopped onions, two cloves garlic, six chopped poblanos and a bunch of other peppers from the freezer (Dad's garden: habanero, serrano, etc.)

Cut an arm roast and chuck roast (about four pounds' worth, from cousin's husband's farm in W. Va.) into large chunks, brown, and add to dutch oven with the rest. Add a bunch of paprika, Rancho Gordo ground chiles, cumin, chipotle and a mixture of toasted and ground coriander seeds with Sichuan peppercorns. Also a spoonful of cocoa powder and a small pinch of cinnamon. Salt, black pepper, and two big spoons of backstrap molasses, too. Oh yeah, four bay leaves.

Pour in one bottle of Dominion Oak Barrell Stout and add two cans of plum tomatoes, hand-crushed, with juice. Add a few dashes of worcestershire, a few spoons of Vietnamese chili/garlic sauce, and a spoonful of Marmite (it needed more salt, plus this added depth).

This simmered for a few hours, after which I pulled all the beef out, fork-shredded it and returned it to the pot. By now it was 4 a.m., so I turned the heat off, went to bed, awoke and turned it back on low. A few hours later, I checked seasonings, added a few spoonfuls of masa harina.

I noticed it could use something contrasting, color-wise, so I added a bag of frozen sweet corn. Then I loaded it into my new Hamilton Beach Slow/Probe Cooker with handy lid clamps.

Mine won "most original," of three non-ranked categories, and disappeared instantly when the table was opened to the public. Didn't see any others sell out.

Oh yeah, there were a few beef bones that cooked in there, and all the marrow was added to the chili...

[Tim Dolan]

So on a scale of 1 to 10, how sacreligious is it to add some BBQ sauce to chili? A 12? I think it would add the flavor that I'm looking for.

[Katie Meadow]

I make five very different kinds of chili/chile.

1) Very traditional New Mexico "bowl of green" or green chile stew using only long-cooked pork, roasted green chiles and sometimes potatoes. MUST be accompanied by flour tortillas!

2) Red chile with pork made with New Mexico dried red chiles and tomatoes, coffee and/or chocolate (or cocoa). Sometimes, but not always, I add rattlesnake beans at the end.

3) Chipotle chile with pork or beef that uses stout or dark beer and black beans. This one and #2 tend to cross-pollinate somewhat.

4) Vegetarian black bean chili that has tons of veggies and garnishes and is a family recipe that everyone has put their own spin on. Best in summer when fresh corn is sweetest.

5) American Chili. This is the kind of chili I make when I have nostalgia for the potlucks of my youth. It uses course-ground beef, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, ground chile (I use NM or ancho), and typical spices like oregano and cumin. It gets beans at the end, and a finish w/cider vinegar. Sometimes I add cocoa as well. It might as well be called New York Chili or California or Heartland Chili, since it can be made without using regional specialty foods and by shopping any big grocery store. I used to call it Texas style, but I'm sure that's not actually correct. Is there a chili that's Texan or Tex-mex? I'm guessing there are a lot of different Texas traditions when it comes to chili or chile. I lived in New Mexico and not in Texas.

So BBQ sauce? Why not? At the risk of being slammed by purists--if there is such a thing as a chili/chile purist--it seems like a wide-open field. (Not like the land of pizza, ha ha, where purists are born and nurtured.) Sometimes I use a stock made from ham shanks or hocks to get a smoky taste. Using smoked meats in chili might be pretty yummy. A little BBQ sauce would be a quick 'n' dirty way of adding smokiness. Go easy, so you don't end up with something that tastes like...bbq sauce.

[jgm]

Rather than starting a new thread, I will post a request here since it's only just a tiny bit off-topic.

I frequent a local informal Japanese restaurant, and the woman who runs it has often commented on my habit of bringing cooking magazines in with me. From time to time she asks me about American ingredients and recipes.

Her latest request is for a chili recipe that she can use to make chili dogs. It needs to be thick, of course, and fairly simple; she's not someone who's going to want to search out special ingredients, etc. She just wants to make chili dogs.

My husband is the chili maker in our family, and 1) his recipe isn't written down; 2) it's far more liquid than would be wanted for chili dogs; and 3) in my mind it's not really a standard style chili. In fact, I often doctor it up before eating, although I've gotten used to it over the years.

Can anyone point me to a basic, straightforward chili recipe appropriate for someone who's not obsessive about such things, as we are?

[Jaymes]

Rather than starting a new thread, I will post a request here since it's only just a tiny bit off-topic.

I frequent a local informal Japanese restaurant, and the woman who runs it has often commented on my habit of bringing cooking magazines in with me.  From time to time she asks me about American ingredients and recipes.

Her latest request is for a chili recipe that she can use to make chili dogs.  It needs to be thick, of course, and fairly simple; she's not someone who's going to want to search out special ingredients, etc.  She just wants to make chili dogs.

My husband is the chili maker in our family, and 1) his recipe isn't written down; 2) it's far more liquid than would be wanted for chili dogs; and 3) in my mind it's not really a standard style chili.  In fact, I often doctor it up before eating, although I've gotten used to it over the years.

Can anyone point me to a basic, straightforward chili recipe appropriate for someone who's not obsessive about such things, as we are?   

←

Here's a really basic recipe for a home-style chili. When I make it for chili dogs, I eliminate all the beans, and thicken it with a little masa.

Chili

2 pounds ground meat. You can use regular ol' ground round, a mixture of meats, or ask your butcher for "chili grind" beef

6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

2 small green bell peppers, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 small white or yellow onions, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 15-oz cans tomato sauce

2 15-oz cans stewed or diced tomatoes, not drained

1-3 T chili powder, or to taste (if you don't want to use commercial chili powder, then blend your own mixture using chile powder, cumin, etc.; sometimes I add just a pinch of curry powder)

1/2 of a tablet of Abuelita or other Mexican-style chocolate

1 15-oz can original Ranch Style Beans, not drained (optional)

salt, pepper, hot sauce, etc., to taste

In a Dutch oven or large stew pot put the meat, garlic, bell peppers, onions, basil, oregano, and bay leaves. Saute until onions are clear and meat is browning. Add all other ingredients except beans and final seasonings.

Simmer about 30 minutes or so until flavors are melded. Add your can of Ranch Style Beans (Most recipes that include beans add about about twice as many as I do. My family always liked chili with a few beans, but not so much that they dominate the flavor profile. If you're a real "beans in chili person," add two cans of RSB instead of one) and heat through. Add final seasonings to taste.

[jgm]

Looks perfect! Thanks!

Jenny

[JAZ]

Jaymes, is the amount of chili powder in your recipe a typo? One to three tablespoons doesn't seem like nearly enough to flavor two pounds of meat and 60 ounces of tomatoes.

[Dave the Cook]

Can anyone point me to a basic, straightforward chili recipe appropriate for someone who's not obsessive about such things, as we are?    

←

Here's a traditional (almost; there's one classic French technique involved) chile-and-beef recipe designed specifically for chili dogs:

1 pound ground chuck

6 ounces beer (an IPA works well)

1 T tomato paste

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium garlic cloves, minced (or pressed a la minute)

1-1/2 ounces dried ancho chiles (or California, New Mexico, chipotle, etc, or a mixture to taste)

1 T cumin seed

1-1/2 t dried oregano

1 t salt

1/2 t black peppercorns

2 C stock

vegetable oil

Toast the cumin and pepper in a 3-quart Dutch oven or saute pan over medium-low heat until they're aromatic. Set aside to cool.

Pour the stock into a blender jar.

Tear the stems off the chiles and pour out the seeds. Add 1/8 inch of oil to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium. Working in batches if necessary, toast the chiles and, as they're done, drop them into the blender jar to rehydrate.

Drain off most of the oil, leaving a thin film in the pan. Add the ground beef to the pan. Chop the beef as you cook, then cook until the beef has lost its pink color. Remove the beef to a strainer or paper towels.

While the beef is cooking, grind the cumin and pepper.

Allow the chiles to steep for at least 15 minutes. Then add the cumin, pepper, oregano, half the salt, garlic and stock to the blender. Blend until you have a smooth puree.

If necessary, drain more fat from pan, again leaving a thin film. Saute the onion, seasoning with the remaining salt, until the onion starts to brown.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add the tomato paste to the onions, stirring to distribute it. It will stick to the bottom of the pan (that's the point). Be brave, but don't let it burn.

Deglaze with the beer and reduce to a syrup.

Add the sauce and the beef, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the chili tightens up enough for bunnage.

[Jaymes]

Jaymes, is the amount of chili powder in your recipe a typo? One to three tablespoons doesn't seem like nearly enough to flavor two pounds of meat and 60 ounces of tomatoes.

←

I put more, of course. But I've been making this simple recipe for literally decades for all sorts of folks, including neighborhood kids at sleepovers, when we lived in northern regions where most people are not accustomed to strong chile flavors. They like their chili pretty mild as do most children.

That's why I said "to taste." You can stand there with the chili/chile powder and add it until it suits. But especially when asked for a simple, basic recipe, I tend to understate the chili powder. You can always add more. But if you get it too spicy to start with, there's nothing that can be done. And a lot of folks won't eat it. And the children will never trust you again.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Jaymes (log)