Chilli Chat

Right folks, I love chili and I am always looking for new and interesting recipes to try. Now, I know that chili is a very personal dish and there are ingredients that some people swear by and others curse and I realize that some chili recipes are closely guarded secrets to their cooks, so share as much or as little as you want! Let's use this thread to share ideas, recipes, and experiences!

I'll start us off with my grandmother's recipe. Its pretty basic and not my favorite chili or the best I've ever had, but it was a classic in my house growing up. I also make a great one that takes forever with brisket and smoked short rib, I'll try and hunt down the recipe later if I can.

I won't include instructions because its all straight forward chili-making with this one.

Grandma's Recipe:
3 garlic clove, minced
1-4 Tablespoons of Chili powder (# of dried chili peppers will obviously vary depending on variety and spice level you like, me I do a mix of ancho, guajillo, birdseye usually)
1 Tablespoon of Flour
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon of Epazote
1 28 ounce can Tomatoes (large) or 2 small cans tomatoes chopped
1 can kidney beans, use 2 cans if you have more people to feed
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1-2 lbs of ground beef
3-4 onions

Red Chili

Gather
3 tablespoons Canola oil
3 pounds stew meat
16 ounces tomato sauce
2-3 jalapenos, skin slit but left whole
32 ounces chicken broth


Spice Mix
6 tablespoons chili powder (I use Medium Chili Powder from Savory Spice Shop)
1 rounded tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
3 bay leaves

Do
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Trim the meat of all excess fat and then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Working in small batches, brown the meat on all sides. Don’t stir it too often, allow it to sit and get a good sear.

When all of the meat has been browned return it to the pot along with the tomato sauce, chicken broth, 1/3 of the spice mix and one jalapeño. Bring to a strong simmer the place the covered pot in the preheated oven.

Let simmer for one hour then remove the jalapeño and squeeze it’s juice back into the pot. Add another 1/3 of the spice mix and another jalapeño. Let simmer for one more hour.

Remove jalapeño and add remainder of spice mix. Simmer for one more hour.

If chili is too soupy place pot on stovetop and reduce over medium heat until desired consistency is achieved.

Remove all jalapeños and bay leaves prior to serving.

This thread will contain strong opinions. I can feel it.

try with alligator meat

DamageInc said:

This thread will contain strong opinions. I can feel it.

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No beans. There, I started it.

If I were to summarize everything I've been told shouldn't be in chili and stick to it, it would be hard to make anything at all.

This list of banned ingredients over the years includes beans, ground beef, liquid smoke, onions, carrot, celery, pepper, chicken stock, any dairy, paprika, cumin, any other meat than brisket, garlic, any herbs, any tomato product, any citrus, flour, bay leaves, wine, cooking oil, and so on. The most extreme "authentic recipe" was when I was told that the only real way to make chili was to fry brisket chunks in beef tallow in a black cast iron pot, then pour over beef stock and add blended red chili-peppers, only seasoning being salt.

Something about chili seems to make people go a little nuts sometimes.

DamageInc said:

If I were to summarize everything I've been told shouldn't be in chili and stick to it, it would be hard to make anything at all.
Something about chili seems to make people go a little nuts sometimes.

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Exactly. That's why I'm curious what people actually do use! Strong opinions are encouraged, if voiced respectfully.

Liquid smoke should be banned in any dish, any kitchen, any recipe and any store.

Nice opinion Dave. ;-)

You guys started it..................
ORIGINAL TEXAS-STYLE CHILI
from A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert

3 lbs. lean beef, preferably stewing meat
2 oz. beef suet (or substitute vegetable oil)
3-6 Ancho chile pods, boiled 5 minutes, cooled, stemmed, seeded and chopped, cooking water reserved. (or 3-6 Tbsp. chili powder or ground chile)
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. crushed cumin seed
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
2-4 minced garlic cloves, to taste
2-4 extra Ancho chile pods
2 Tbsp. Masa Harina or cornmeal

Wick Fowler variation: 15oz of tomato sauce

daveb said:

Liquid smoke should be banned in any dish, any kitchen, any recipe and any store.

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Agreed.

DamageInc said:

Something about chili seems to make people go a little nuts sometimes.

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I make BBQ for a living. Im very familiar with this aspect of people's personalities.

brainsausage said:

I make BBQ for a living. Im very familiar with this aspect of people's personalities.

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I used to work in bbq too. Even the babies had opinions and critiques...

tgfencer said:

I used to work in bbq too. Even the babies had opinions and critiques...

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brainsausage said:

I make BBQ for a living. Im very familiar with this aspect of people's personalities.

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I use a little fish sauce in my chili instead of salt. And sometimes I chop up a preserved anchovy filet that I fry along with the meat for some small umami boost.

American friends of mine have lost their minds over this practice, despite never knowing if I hadn't told them. I feel exactly the same about chili as what I stated in the bolognese thread. Make it as delicious as possible, traditions notwithstanding.

DamageInc said:

I use a little fish sauce in my chili instead of salt. And sometimes I chop up a preserved anchovy filet that I fry along with the meat for some small umami boost.

American friends of mine have lost their minds over this practice, despite never knowing if I hadn't told them. I feel exactly the same about chili as what I stated in the bolognese thread. Make it as delicious as possible, traditions notwithstanding.

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I like the idea of the anchovy and fish sauce. Gonna have to try that. The bolognese thread was part of my inspiration for this one.

first off, sear the living crap out of the meat, prior to simmering with everything else. add some sort of stock for depth (i like rotisserie chicken)
my go to chiles are guajillo(dried/reconstituted) and aji panca(paste), but that is more latin not murcan chilli. use different types of beans, not just red kidney. i really like smoked beef kielbasa and of course the fat ass in me always gotta add some sort of pork fat. a can of modelo especial and some cholula hot sauce + chipotle puree and fresh grilled red fresno peppers. gotta use bay leaves and fresh oregano as well
i like to add a little ketchup to mine.

can also go italian with veal/guanciale/pancetta+calabrian peppers

I like aji panca but it never even occurred to me to use in chili somehow. Gonna have to try that. Its also great with slow cooked pork belly.

DamageInc said:

If I were to summarize everything I've been told shouldn't be in chili and stick to it, it would be hard to make anything at all.

This list of banned ingredients over the years includes beans, ground beef, liquid smoke, onions, carrot, celery, pepper, chicken stock, any dairy, paprika, cumin, any other meat than brisket, garlic, any herbs, any tomato product, any citrus, flour, bay leaves, wine, cooking oil, and so on. The most extreme "authentic recipe" was when I was told that the only real way to make chili was to fry brisket chunks in beef tallow in a black cast iron pot, then pour over beef stock and add blended red chili-peppers, only seasoning being salt.

Something about chili seems to make people go a little nuts sometimes.

Click to expand...

I was told that without cumin, it's just beef stew. I guess it's just impossible to make chili.

DamageInc said:

I use a little fish sauce in my chili instead of salt. And sometimes I chop up a preserved anchovy filet that I fry along with the meat for some small umami boost.

American friends of mine have lost their minds over this practice, despite never knowing if I hadn't told them. I feel exactly the same about chili as what I stated in the bolognese thread. Make it as delicious as possible, traditions notwithstanding.

Click to expand...

I always have a jar of prik nam plah in the fridge just to get a spoonful for chili or stews give background heat and glutamates .. nobody ever knows til you tell them!

Wild elk and bakers chocolate...and no beans. I dig the anchovy idea.

“Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.”
—President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973)

"It can only truly be Texas red if it walks the thin line just this side of indigestibility: Damning the mouth that eats it and defying the stomach to digest it, the ingredients are hardly willing to lie in the same pot together."
---- John Thorne, Simple Cooking

More John Thorne: The Legend of Texas Red

Kenji Lopez-Alt's Real Texas Red Chile con Carne -- made a batch of this over the weekend and enjoyed it. Followed recipe as written and ended up with something similar to a mole. Used a mix of pasilla, aji amarillo, chipotle morita, ancho, guajillo, cascabel, arbol and cosenteno chile.

I have memories of eating chili as early as 6 years old with a frito's garnish. It was delicious.

I could eat chili with Thorne.

I'm slightly curious, what do you guys make of Heston's chili recipe?

Starts at 18 minutes. Either use the link or skip to it with the embedded video.

https://youtu.be/03h5T_tiyx0?t=18m4s

[video=youtube;03h5T_tiyx0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03h5T_tiyx0[/video]

Looks like a good technique. Heston loooves his star anise. I've used it a few times, a little goes a long way. Generally I'm a fan of Heston.

mirepoix, chiles, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, more chiles...a bit of chocolate...some meat (I prefer less)...tomatoes...stock and water mix...lots of garlic and onions...beans and more chiles...salt...finish with a touch of vinegar and serve w/ fresh chiles and cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)...cheese or sour cream or creme fraiche, optional

Does anybody roast tomato paste in the pot after searing the meat? What beer do you guys like to use?

yes and tecate but i much prefer drinking modelo especial so it's usually that so that i'm not buying a 6 pack just to put into chilli.

panda said:

yes and tecate but i much prefer drinking modelo especial so it's usually that so that i'm not buying a 6 pack just to put into chilli.

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I was hoping someone would say pale ale, as that's usually what I have laying around.

Go to Costco buy palate of stag chili, and eat it cold from the can. Just kidding. I usually caramalize my onions with star anise. I heard/read somewhere(prob here) that it makes the onions more meaty and I would have to agree. It's the star anise that adds the meat flavor obviously not the bits stuck to the pan but it's good non the less. As for peppers I usually grind black peppercorn, chipotles and anejo. Obligatory bay leaf but really like the fresh ones and would recommend if you can. I also do sear the tomato paste after the onions. And I add coffee in the last hour of simmering, about a cup or what ever is left from my big gulp. (No cream or sugar that would be ludicrous to put in chili.) I usually don't add beans but when I do I also add a bell pepper or two (diced and cooked with the onions).