I know what a quagmire I’m getting myself into, and I know how incredibly hard it is to describe what I like in a chili, but I’m gonna try and you guys are not gonna kill each other, kay?
Note - this isn’t the chicken chili thread, I’m looking for beef chili.
Also, I like beans in my chili, and onions. And ground beef. I like it very flavorful but not very spicy. (Well, I like to be able to adjust the spice, but generally, not too spicy.) It should be red, and then it should have cheese on it. It should cook for a long time, also, and it should be good, and I should make some cornbread to go with it.
I use Carrol Shelby’s Texas Chili Mix as my starter. For a standard batch, I use 2 pounds of ground beef, 8oz of tomato sauce, 2 16oz cans of seasoned diced tomato (roasted garlic is good), one whole yellow onion and 4oz of smoked sun-dried tomato diced fairly small. Carrol includes cayenne pepper, which I skip. I also skip the masa flour – I’m really just interested in the primary spice mix. When I am making chili for an audience that includes kids, I use less than the whole packet. Note that Carrol also includes salt, in case you are an Utter Bachelor whose kitchen is even devoid of that. Or maybe in case you’re cooking at the racetrack or something. Whatever the reason, it’s there. I usually go with kosher salt instead.
Beans are optional for me, but when I do include them I go with a mix – light red kidney beans are good standard ones. I also usually include great northern beans and black beans for variety. I usually rinse my beans of the sugary goop they come in.
Brown your meat in the pot you will cook in. If you used really high-fat meat, you will want to drain it. I use 90% lean ground beef to avoid this.
Dice the onion and toss it into the browned meat. Cook until it softens and becomes translucent (“sweating” the onion).
Add tomato sauce, diced tomato, sun-dried tomato and spices. Cover and leave over medium-low heat for hours, stirring occasionally. If it gets too thick, add water. If it’s too loose for your tastes, remove the cover for an hour or so.
Depending on how intact you like your beans, you may want to hold off adding them until an hour or so before you intend to serve (or begin eating). I don’t mind my beans kind of falling apart, so I put them in early.
Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Now I’m excited about the multiple batches of this I’ll be making in less than two weeks for my annual Festive Event.
2lbs ground round or sirloin cooked
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 lg. onion white or yellow
1lg can whole peeled tomatoes
5 Serrano peppers
cumin (about two table spoons more or less depending on your tastes)
paprika, red pepper, garlic powder, salt (about a table spoon each)
One can of red kidney beans
Put onions, peppers and tomatoes in blender and liquefy. Put that and everything else except beans in crock pot. Simmer for two or three hours. Add drained beans about an hour before serving.
When it comes to adding the spices; channel your “inner chef” as far as the right amounts to use.
This recipe got me third place in a chili cook off of about a hundred people or so. In the cook off I couldn’t use the beans per cook-off rules. It could only be sauce and meat; no chunks of anything.
All I know how to do is wing it. Insert approximately in front of all amounts and times.
1 pound cubed sirloin
1 pound hot italian sausage meat (removed from skins if that’s how you got it)
1.5 large white onions roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed
3 chili peppers, minced (your choice for heat)
2-3 tablespoons fresh chili powder (your choice for heat)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1tbsp ground oregano
1/2 bottle dark beer
1 liter (or so - not too much) low sodium beef broth
salt pepper to taste qwest’s secret ingredients
1/4 ounce shaved semi sweet bakers chocolate
couple of teaspoons Keen’s dry mustard
Sear sirloin in heavy pot (same one that chili will cook in)
Crumble sausage meat and cook in separate skillet
Drain fat from sausage
Add sausage to sirloin
Throw in onions and cook until translucent
You don’t want to burn anything now.
Working quickly, add spices and stir, add garlic and peppers and stir.
Quickly add liquids and bring to boil
Cover, simmer for 1.5 to 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Watch liquid level
Remove lid, increase heat
Adjust seasoning
Add chocolate and mustard powder
Simmer additional 30 minutes, stirring often
Serve with sharp cheddar on the side
This is my take on a Hungarian Chili in the Toledo Tony Packo’s style. It’s not exactly like Tony Packo’s chili, but should have a similar flavor profile. It’s a spicy bowl of red.
Hungarian Chili
2 lb hamburger
1 large onion minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp oil
4 tbls chili powder
4 tbls sweet Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tbls cayenne pepper
2 cans of red kidney beans
1 large can of tomato juice (46 oz.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef in the oil along with the onions and garlic, making sure to break up the hamburger very finely using either the back of a large spoon or potato masher. Add the spices to the sauteeing meat mixture and awaken the spices in the oil and drippings. Add the kidney beans undrained and pour in the tomato juice, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer for a minimum of an hour.
