Chili

[TinSoldier]

Inspired by ed in another thread:

i've always felt that there are three dishes every man should know how to make: a spaghetti sauce (really: bolognese), chili and some form of egg.

edI decided to google and wikipedia on chili today just out of sheer boredom. Interesting information abounds.

Now I've never been to Texas but I've heard for awhile now that "real" chili has neither beans nor tomatoes in it. Well, I guess I'm a heathen because my chili does have both. But I'm always interested in trying different things.

One of the first sites that popped up on google was http://www.g6csy.net/chile/recp-texas.html . I need to try some of these (and I notice that some of them have beans and/or tomatoes anyway).

Here's my chili recipe, which actually comes out different every time anyway:
Chili con carne with beans
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (35 oz.) can Italian peeled tomatoes (I can never find this--I usually end up using two 14 1/2 oz. cans of diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 cup water
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
cheddar cheese and bell pepper for garnish

In a large pot, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat, breaking up clumps of meat and stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat is browned--about 15 minutes.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes with their liquid and water, stirring with a fork to break up tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, partially cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors have blended.

Stir in beans, sugar, and salt. Heat through. Skim fat off of surface. Serve with cheddar cheese and bell pepper.

Personally, I like to serve this over white rice. I really like the texture it adds to the dish.

Now, I want to try some of these recipes that instead of using chili powder you actually take some dried peppers and soak them and run them in a blender. I just don't know how hot it will get, since the rest of my family does not like very spicy foods.

So, do you have a chili recipe? Any opinions on the tomatoes or beans?

[Archer]

I personally like beans in it to give it some body and don't particularly care for tomatoes in it. However, its rare enough that someone cooks me a bowl of chili that I'll eat it in any way its prepared and be grateful.

[StarkDaddy]

I just had this hot sauce called Bend Me Over and Call Me Santa.

Good stuff.

[Windhaven]

I'm making some Chili Colorado for some guests tomorrow. Yes on tomatoes, no on beans, and the meat is cubed chuckroast.

I *never* use hamburger in my chili. Oddly, I learned this from a friend who pointed out how expensive it was to get really lean hamburger, as opposed to just getting a piece of beef with really poor marbelling of fat. You can trim off a fat rind and end up with really lean meat.

The key is to let the meat simmer in your chili. Even the toughest piece of shoe leather will get fall-apart tender when you let it cook properly this way.

[TinSoldier]

I'm making some Chili Colorado for some guests tomorrow. Yes on tomatoes, no on beans, and the meat is cubed chuckroast.

I *never* use hamburger in my chili. Oddly, I learned this from a friend who pointed out how expensive it was to get really lean hamburger, as opposed to just getting a piece of beef with really poor marbelling of fat. You can trim off a fat rind and end up with really lean meat.

The key is to let the meat simmer in your chili. Even the toughest piece of shoe leather will get fall-apart tender when you let it cook properly this way.Oh, I know. I've made a few other kinds of roasted or braised meats where that is the case.

I've used both ground beef and stew meat in my chili recipe. I change things from time to time.

[marmalade]

ed asked me for this recipe a while ago and I forgot all about it. The first time I made chili I was disappointed at how much it tasted like my spaghetti sauce. So I scoured the internet for ideas and here's my version of tomato-free chili. This recipe is not for the fat-conscious.


Greenhorn Chili

¼ pound cooked bacon, diced (4-6 lean slices)
4 pounds beef brisket or rump roast (cubed)
2+ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 allspice seeds
1 bay leaf
2 Tb light olive oil
3+ cups white/red onion (chopped)
6 dried ancho chiles (made into ~2/3 cup paste)
3 cups poblano chiles (roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped)

2 large green bell peppers (roasted, peeled, seeded and pureed)
2 oz canned chipotles (3 pieces)
500 ml Newcastle Brown Ale (or other non-bitter dark beer)

½ lime, juiced
1 can beef broth, reduced sodium
1 can chicken broth, reduced sodium
4 Tb garlic, minced
2 tsp Mexican oregano
2+ tsp salt
chopped fresh cilantro

Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice berries in a heavy-bottom skillet over low heat until they are fragrant and slightly darkened. Shake the pan frequently. Transfer the toasted spices to a heatproof dish to cool. Process together in a coffee grinder. Can be made ahead -- store in a sealed container until needed.

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Soak in almost boiling water for 20 minutes. Peel skins from rehydrated chiles and blend flesh with just enough water to make a thick paste. (optional: pass through a sieve to eliminate fibrous bits) Can be made ahead – keep refrigerated.

Roast the fresh chiles in a 450 oC oven for 20-30 minutes, turning the chiles frequently. When the skins are thoroughly blackened, remove chiles from the oven and cover with foil to “sweat” for 5-10 minutes. Peel off the skins from tip to stem. Remove the stem and seeds. DO NOT RINSE the flesh. Chop the poblano flesh into little pieces. Puree the bell pepper flesh with the chipotles.

Cook bacon in a heavy-bottom skillet. Remove bacon pieces to the chili pot. Brown meat in batches in very hot bacon drippings. Transfer browned meat to the chili pot. Add the toasted spice mixture to the meat in the chili pot. Mix well. Saute a bit. Add the roasted chiles and bell/chipotle puree. Saute the onions in light olive oil until lightly browned. Transfer to the chili pot. Deglaze the fry pan with the beer and add to the chili pot.

Add the lime juice and just enough broth to prevent burning. Heat to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, adding more broth only as needed. Don’t over-dilute the chili, and try to keep from stirring it up. Skim off some fat after an hour or so.

30 minutes before the chili is done, add the garlic and Mexican oregano. Adjust the salt and liquidity.

Refrigerate the chili overnight. Skim congealed fat off the top before reheating.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

[Hitcher]

I just watched Alton Brown do a chili show on the Food Network - The Big Chili (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_34294,00.html) - here's a recipe for Chili (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28231,00.html?rsrc=search) and one for making your own chili powder (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28230,00.html?rsrc=search).

[TinSoldier]

Marmalade: That sounds awesome! I may just have to try that one.

[marmalade]

Now, I want to try some of these recipes that instead of using chili powder you actually take some dried peppers and soak them and run them in a blender. I just don't know how hot it will get, since the rest of my family does not like very spicy foods.The heat depends on what kind of peppers/chiles you use. Ancho chiles are the dried version of poblano peppers. They are not very hot (~1000 scovilles) but will add a lot of flavor. Sometimes you'll also see them called Pasilla, but sometimes other chiles are also called Pasilla. If the dried chiles are are 2-3 inches wide near the stems and taper to the tips they are probably Anchos. I like to add lots of ancho paste or powder for flavor and that characteristic red chili color, and other things for additional heat (cayenne powder, jalapenos, chipotles (smoky), or serranos). Instead of making a chili paste like I did in the recipe above, you can also toast the de-stemmed and de-seeded dry chiles in a pan, and then grind them into powder. Only use dry chiles that are still flexible. If they crack when you try to bend them, you can throw them away.

Here's a list of the Scoville ratings (http://ushotstuff.com/Heat.Scale.htm) of various chiles.

[marmalade]

Marmalade: That sounds awesome! I may just have to try that one.Thanks! But I'll warn you, it's an all-day affair. Alternatively, you can do all your spice toasting, pepper roasting/peeling and chile pasting the previous day. The chili turns out more brown than red due to all the green peppers, but you can use red bells in place of the green ones to help out a bit with the color if you don't mind the extra sweetness. And if your family doesn't like it too hot, you might want to taste test it before you add the chipotles or any other extra heat beyond the poblanos & anchos.

[marmalade]

Here's another recipe I found on the internet a while back, but haven't had a chance to try yet.
I thought it looked interesting because of the coffee and cocoa.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chili-I-2/Detail.aspx

2 Tb olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb sirloin, cubed
2 med onion, chopped
3 clv garlic, minced
14 oz. canned tomatoes, diced (plus juice)
12 oz. dark beer
1 cup strong brewed coffee
12 oz. tomato paste
14 oz. beef broth
½ cup brown sugar
3 Tb chili powder
1 Tb cumin
1 Tb unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
4 cans kidney beans
4 ea fresh hot chile peppers, seeded and chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions, ground beef and cubed sirloin in oil for 10 minutes, or until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender.

Mix in the diced tomatoes with juice, beer, coffee, tomato paste, and beef broth.

Season with brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, coriander and salt. Stir in 2 cans of the beans and hot chiles.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Stir in the 2 remaining cans of beans, garlic and oregano.

Simmer for another 30 minutes.

[ed]

marmalade: thank you for posting that recipe! :D

TS: i don't remember saying that recently. weird.

ed

[Brother Brian]

I don't use recipes in general. My mood and audience dictates how I make my chili.

A few rules.

Chili is not a soup. The solid to liquid ratio should be no less than 50-50.

Adding Water to Chili is a waste. Water adds no flavor. Beer, Tequila, Lime Juice, these add flavor.

Good Chili should have enough heat to make you notice, but not enough to make you cry. (This will of course vary based on your tolerances.)

Chili can be made with whatever is in your house. Its a mulligan stew like dish.

I looked in my cabinets, and here is how I'd mike Chili for me, today.

1/2 lb chuck stew beef cubed
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 lb Chorizo cubed

Meat gets browned in a pan. In a crockpot I add:

1 12 Ounce Bottle Gritty's IPA.
1 Jar Margarita's Salsa (Hot)
Cumin
Chili Powder (I'm out of my home made and will use a package.)
2 Cans Red Kidney beans.
1 Can Refritos (Refried Beans).
1 diced Habenero Peper.
4 Chipotle peppers. diced (Roasted Jalepino)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic diced

As it simmers for the next 4 -8hours, I will taste it regularly and continue to spice to taste. (I'm avoiding salt, but it certainly could be used to good effect.) Things that can be added:

1. Sour Cream - If you find it too hot, the sour cream does a good job at taking the edge off.
2. Corn - I'm a big fan of corn in my Chili.
3. Lime - Lime is also good when it's hot.
4. About 80 different store bought seasonings.

Chili should be creative. I've never had it turn out horrible.

[LagomorphPrime]

Real chili should NEVER contain beans and/or tomatos. Heathens.

[marmalade]

I read somewhere that if you add an alcoholic beverage directly to your chili, it will leach the spices off the meat, and that it's better to get rid of the alcohol first. For instance, you could mix the cumin with the flour that coats the meat, and then deglaze the onion mixture before adding the browned meat back. I don't know if I'd really notice a difference in flavor though.

[BattleNymph]

I never use canned beans in my chili. They taste too much like paste in my opinion.

[ldygmr1]

Real chili should NEVER contain beans and/or tomatos. Heathens.

You are a texan. Your idea of real chili is jalapenos with a little sauce for consistency.

[TinSoldier]

I keep meaning to used dried beans but I haven't gotten there yet.

[BattleNymph]

They aren't hard to use at all. It just takes some forthought.

[David Argall]

So, do you have a chili recipe? Any opinions on the tomatoes or beans?

1. Find can that says Chili.
2. Open.
3. Dump in bowl.
4. [optional] nuke it for a minute
5. Eat.

[TinSoldier]

My best chili, thanks to Alton Brown (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pressure-cooker-chili-recipe/index.html) and Adam Byrd (http://www.meninaprons.net/archives/2007/01/alton_browns_cheaters_chili.html), and a little bit of help from The Joy of Cooking and what little I've learned on my own.

Unfortunately, I started with too much meat. Fortunately, I froze the excess before I cooked it.

I wanted to do either Chim's or marmalade's recipe, and I will eventually. But I don't have a coffee/spice grinder, or a good food processor yet. Those items are on my wish list.

The recipe:

Chili Powder (Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary, page 969, modified)
5 TBS New Mexico ground chiles.
2 TBS dried oregano
1 1/2 TBS dried cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne (red) pepper
1/4 tsp dried chipotle
1/4 tsp chili pepper (non-specific)
2 TBS paprika
1 TBS turmeric

Combine spices and toast for 2 minutes on low heat.

Chili:
1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat
1 1/2 lbs. boneless country-style pork ribs
2 - 3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 bottles Newcastle Brown Ale
2 cups water
2-3 cups of your favorite salsa
2-3 handfuls of tortilla chips, crushed or crumbled
4 chipotle chiles, seeded and minced, plus 2-3 tsp of the adobo sauce they are packed in
2-3 TBS chili powder (see above)
cooking oil, as needed
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
chives
green pepper
cheddar cheese
sour cream

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

In a dutch oven or other heavy, oven-proof pot, cook the chopped bacon and set aside.

Cut the beef and pork into 1/2 inch or so pieces and combine them together. Add some salt and pepper.

Brown the meat in batches in the pot, being careful not to crowd it (very important! I made that mistake!), setting each batch aside. Each batch should have a nice brown and crusty sear on the outside. Add oil as necessary.

When all the meat is seared and removed, add your beer straight into the pot, deglazing the pan -- that is, scraping off the brown crunchy sticky bits with a plastic or wooden spoon. Add the chili powder, cumin, salsa, chipotles, and stir. Add the meat mixture -- beef, pork, and bacon -- and bring to a boil, stirring well.

Add the tortilla chips, stirring a couple more times.

Cover with the lid or with tinfoil and place the pot into the oven for four hours. Check every hour and adjust the liquid level with either beer or water as necessary.

When the chili is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Skim off any excess fat from the top.

Serve in bowls, top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, and/or diced green pepper.

Lessons learned:
This still came out a bit spicy for the family, but it's close. I was originally going to double the recipe, but that was a mistake. The original recipe calls for two chipotle chiles instead of four, I might try that -- it was an artifact of planning on doubling.

I can't emphasize enough not to crowd the meat when you are browning it. Be patient even if it takes ten batches. If you put too much into the pan at once you won't get a nice crusty sear. I didn't think at first that I was putting too much in since I was leaving it all in one layer, but I was.

Note that I thought that the heat was just right, and even my daughter really did like it even if it was a little too hot for her. My wife mentioned the smoky flavor of the chili.

This is my first chili without beans (even though it does have tomatoes). I can highly recommend this recipe, and other than cutting up the meat, it's really very easy.

I have a new favorite chili recipe.

[marmalade]

Chili made from cubed meat benefits from long simmering, but if you're using only ground meat is there much of a reason to simmer for hours?

[TinSoldier]

Chili made from cubed meat benefits from long simmering, but if you're using only ground meat is there much of a reason to simmer for hours?I think that it still infuses the flavors into the meat, and unlike whole meats it doesn't necessarily break down the same way.

I think that the biggest point is to blend the flavors and to reduce the mixture.

[marmalade]

I occasionally watch Chef John Folse on PBS. I'm not really into Louisiana cooking but he always has some interesting historical commentary. I was just looking at his recipes on the web and came upon his chili recipe (http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7298262&nav=menu57_10). His technique is a new one by me, pretty much like pot roast chili. Thought it was interesting enough to share with you guys.

[Mouser]

Real chili should NEVER contain beans and/or tomatos. Heathens.


"Anybody who knows beans about chili knows chili ain't got no beans."

[marmalade]

http://www.twolumps.net/d/20090424.html

:D

Who wants to try this recipe?

[silverwhisper]

heh...i'm reminded of the time i made a batch of chili that was so spicy, even i couldn't eat it. as a serious chili-head, that's a humbling experience.

[marmalade]

I made a batch too hot for me this winter. I brought it to work for lunch anyway and just diluted it with pinto beans from the cafeteria.

[silverwhisper]

that and more cheese were in fact exactly how i managed to finish eating it. :>

[TinSoldier]

So it's chili contest time at work again. This will be my second year if I make an attempt.

[TinSoldier]

So there were twelve contestants in the chili cookoff.

I didn't place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. This year, instead of getting "Most Traditional" I got "Hottest" which is weird. It's weird because 1) my chili was hot but not that hot and 2) that's not what I was shooting for.

By the time I got down to try the competing chilis, I was told that 1st and 2nd had sold out so I got to try 3rd. It was a chicken chili, and I definitely thought that mine was better (even though it was good).

Later in the day, however, I found out that there WAS still some of the winning chili left. I got to try some and it was a learning experience -- as I needed.

It was very, very good. It was sweet, it was smoky, it was only a little less hot than mine. The kind of heat which doesn't slap you across the face at first but which smolders and turns into a flame after a couple of minutes.

It was kinda barbacue-y. It had garbanzo beans in it. And it was pure awesome. I could see why it won.