Chili time

What, no tequila?

 

In the chili, jalapeno juice too!

 

- 3 lbs beef Chuck
- masa harina flour (mexican corn flour)
- 3 or 4 red onions, diced
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-5 jalapeno peppers (or Serrano if your like me, or a blend of both)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 bottles of Modelo
- Manteca (Lard)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 cans black beans, drained (OPTIONAL)
- 2-3 tsp of ground cumin
- 3-4 *tbsp* of chili powder
- 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
- some olive oil

im going to keep this as simple as i can. let me preface this by saying this makes a great bowl of chili. i know there are some Texans on here, hopefully they know i'm trying to do them proud here in South Florida

1) cut your chuck into bite-size pieces, or better yet, get your butcher to do it. you do have a butcher, don't you?
2) place chuck in a bowl, season liberally with kosher salt and black pepper.
3) season with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp chili powder. use your hands to really rub the spices into the meat. dont be afraid. just make sure your hands are clean.

*ok quick rant: dont use store bought spices. they are overpriced, loaded with fillers, have been on the shelf for god knows how long, i could go on forever. bottom line, freshly toasting your cumin and grinding it yourself is simple and the flavor cannot be duplicated. in the case of cinnamon, 99% of the orange-y powder stuff on the shelf is Cassia, not even cinnamon. chili powder is kind of a process homemade because its made up of various different chiles that most of us dont have access to down the street. and while the NM and TX boys probably scoff at us, a good quality chili powder can be found at the store. just know what your buying. as far as the cumin and cinnamon - try this - buy *whole* spices from the megamart, and do it yourself at home. TRUST ME. sorry for the digression, back to the chili:

4) ok so now that the chuck is nicely seasoned, coat it with the masa harina flour. masa harina is a ground corn flour common in Mexico (understatement) and should be avaliable at the store.
5) fire up your stove to medium high heat, and grab your trusty cast-iron dutch oven, or any heavy bottomed pot you have. cast iron would be nice. (i DONT have one...yet)
6)once its warmed up add a little bit of olive oil and and a few TBSPs of Manteca/lard.
7)add the chuck, working in batches. listen, i dont care how much it hisses and screams DO NOT touch it. you want a nice crust on the outside of the meat, prodding it and poking it compromises this. make sure you add a little Manteca with each batch. lets say 4-5 min, moving the meat around after 2 min or so make sure all sides are browned nicely.
8) once you sear off the chuck, remove it and set it aside in a bowl or w/e.
9) add the onions and garlic to the pan, which should have all kinds of bits and pieces and juices from the meat you seared off. 5 min on medium heat or until the veg mixture softens a little.
10) add your jalapenos/serranos/mixture now. 2 min or until a little soft.
11) add the tomato paste mix around a little.
12) add the remainder of the same spices used to coat the meat--2tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 2 HEAPING TBSPs of chili powder.
13) add the beer. i usually buy a six pack, use 2 to 3, and drink the rest while making this pot of amazingness.
14) stir everything up to make sure its all incorporated well. oh add the oregano.
15) add diced tomatoes
16) add chicken stock
17) add the meat you seared off before

ok so here's where the rest of the six pack comes in. wait 1.5 hrs or so and the chuck pieces are wonderfully tender. by this point the chili has a nice dark red color to it, the result of the concentration of all the flavors and ingredients we started adding about 90 min before. now, the texans will probably agree with me there is no RIGHT or WRONG way to make chili. i'm not going to dwell on BEANS or NO BEANS...ill say this: i like what the black beans do to this chili. that being said...

18) you can now add your drained, canned, black beans. almost ready to eat.
19) finally, add the secret ingredient--the bittersweet chocolate. let it melt nicely into the chili and stir it well.

YOU ARE READY TO EAT...but wait. before you go to the fridge and grab the bar of cheddar, or the scallions, or whatever else you want to dump on this beautiful harmony of flavor and texture just try this: grab a bowl, a spoon and that half beer you have. FORGET all the fixins.


EXCEPT...sour cream. sour cream is ok in my book. the yin/yang of a hot, spicy bowl of chili and the cool, smooth , palette cleansing sour cream is something i dream about.




bon appetito.

 

thx. you should try it out. i'll try out yours. honestly i hope this thread catches and we can have a bevy of on point recipes.

 

there are no beans in chili. chili con carne, chilies with meat. you may have them on the side but not cooked in the chili. i hate to pull rank but having competed in the world championship i may have a different perspective than most chili cooks. neither sanctioning body, ics nor casi allows beans or any adjuncts in competitive chili. ask someone from cincinatti. they take the chilli and after it's cooked they pile all sorts of stuff on top but never in the pot. if you mention beans in chili to a texican may may get slapped. chili should be america's official food. i use brisket cut into earlobe size chunks. brown it and add it to my mole'. ancho or pablanos for flavor. pickled jalapenos for a up front snap and habaneros for the back burn. bell peppers, red, yellow and green for color and sweetness.

 

Does anyone have a Venison chili recipe to share?

I tried it at a friend's cook out, but he won't share it. Suffice to say, it was very good.

 

Mouth is absolutely watering right now...

 

I've never done chili so this will become my favorite thread!

 

Great recipe, but I'll take out the sausage.

Sounds good too.

I'll never understand the anti-bean brigade. I love beans in my chili and feel they add a nice flavor.

I've been wanting to make chili for a few years and never have, with these recipes I think this will be my year.

Thanks.

 

Hmmm....I'm not a big sausage fan in general, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it. I could always just add half a tube.

LOL. I was thinking that 28oz sounded like a lot.

 

See link here:

http://www.pepperfool.com/recipes/chili/doms_nuclear.html


I usually see chili recipes in books, on the net, etc., that use very little
chili pepper. For example: 2 Tbs chili powder to 2 lbs. ground beef- The end
result being more like a brown gravy with slight chili taste. This recipe
uses a lot of chili pepper, giving a beautiful red sauce. It is a hot chili,
but can be made milder by removing the habanero. Remember, any idiot can make
a hot chili, but it takes practice to make one that's good also.

Dom's Nuclear Chili

1) Prepare Sauce
6-8 Dried New Mexico Chiles
4 Dried Ancho Chiles
4 Dried Pasilla Chiles
3 Dried Anaheim Chile
2 Dried Cascabel Chiles
2 Dried Chipotle Chiles
1 Habanero Chili
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Bottle Beer
Salt, Oregano, to taste
--More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]

Add 8 cups boiling water to New Mexico, Ancho, Pasilla, Anaheim, and
Cascabel Chiles. Let soak 30 minutes. Place in blender with 1/2 of soaking
water plus fresh water and beer. Add 2 cloves of garlic and blend for ~3
minutes.
Strain the resulting puree into a pot. Add cumin, salt, oregano, Chipotle and
habanero chiles. Simmer.

2) Prepare rest of chili.
2 lbs meat. (Ground or cut up into small pieces)
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic
4 strips bacon
16 Ozs Corn or Beans.

Cook Bacon. Eat Bacon. Add garlic, peppers, onion to bacon fat and cook 2
minutes. Add meat, and brown. Add chili sauce. Simmer for a few hours. Add
corn or beans about 1 hour before serving. Skim fat before serving.
Notes: You may use a different variety of chiles. Be creative and
experiment.

The Habanero Chili is very hot. If you want a milder chili, do not add.

 

I love spicy food and can handle just about anything, even if I'm in pain if it tastes good I love it.

I don't know if my stomach will be thanking you the following day though. Pepto may be need to be stocked up on.

 

yum. i will be trying this. thanks. with the habanero of course.

 

sorry for no recipe but i never use one. i just start with a brisket and keep adding stuff until it tastes right. of the posted recipes so far dom's sounds like the best. he makes the mole' then adds the meat. that way you can adjust the spices easier. chili is not a science it is an art. everyone has different ideas and tastes. whatever trips your trigger. some like a lot of garlic, some more cumin. have fun and experiment. check out some of the chili society sites. the international chili society and the chili appreciation society international are the biggest and best organised. find a cook off nearby and enter.