It's Chili season - show your recipes

[StephanFowler]

Here's how I make chili




4 Lb Chuck Roast cubed
1 Lb Andoille sausage
4 Large Sweet Onions
1 Cup Brandy (substitute beer here if you want)
1 Poblano pepper
2 Serrano peppers
1/2 Habanero pepper
4 Large firm tomatoes
Seasonings - Smoked Chipotle chili powder, salt, pepper, paprika to taste


spices cooks in a crock pot for at least 8 hours it's best to let it cook and then cool to rest for at least 24 hours prior to eating. Thanks Stephan

[mateo]

mmm... chili, I'm still refining my recipe, but it's like yours -- a chili con carne style, no beans, corn, mushrooms... etc.

Although a big breakthrough was making my own chili powder:
3 Ancho Chiles
2 Guajillo chiles
3 chiles de arbol
2 Dried chipotle chiles
2 Tbs cumin seed

Toast all that in a skillet (after coarsely chopping chiles and removing seeds), once fragrant cool and grind. Then add:

1Tbs. smoked paprika
2 tsp oregano
2tsp garlic powder (maybe some onion powder)

:P Yum! My chili has about 3 Tbs of this in it... about one Tbs per pound of meat I use.

I like caramelizing the onions first... I'll have to try that sometime, probably adds some nice depth and sweetness to balance the chiles.

[StephanFowler]

and the brandy is weird,

If I set two bowls in front of you, one with the brandy and one without you'd know something was different, but it's really subtle

[The Edge]

Chili is the first thing I ever learned how to make, and now the recipe usually comes down to my mood at the time.

First decision is whether I'm being lazy or not, which is the choice between ground beef and chuck. If I choose chuck, I'll cut it into roughly 1//2" cubes. The meat is then heavily browned, then removed.

Next, I start to caramelize the onion to which I add a mix of the following ingredients:
Guajillo chiles (add a bright vibrant chile flavor)
Ancho chiles (earthy chile flavor)
Chipotle chile (smoky heat)
serano or jalepeno chiles (fresher flavor)
cumin seeds
coriander seeds (I usually double the amount of coriander to cumin, but this is a personal preference)
2 or 3 cloves
and garlic powder

I'll let these flavors develop quite well before I add tomatoes, roasted red peppers, roasted pablanos, and for me beans.
Then I'll add water or stock to cover and simmer for at least 2 or 3 hours.

Before serving, I'll chop cilantro and add it to the pot to keep the flavor fresh and pungent.

[The Edge]

I'm going to have to give the brandy a shot, that sounds pretty good.

[EdipisReks]

can't go wrong with a classic.

[stevenStefano]

I normally use beer when I make chilli and I think it makes it awesome but brandy is interesting. I've also heard of people making it with Martini

[mr drinky]

You're right. It is time to start thinking about chili.

If you want ideas to try out, here are some of the winning recipes from the International Chili Cookoff dating back to 1970.

Chili Recipes

Btw, America's Test Kitchen tested chili powders a while back and Spice Island Chili Powder was the clear winner. I've only made chili a half dozen times, but this year I am going to try the Cook's Illustrated recipe that was mentioned in Jan 2011. Here is their recipe.

k.

[Kyle]

I didn't grow up eating much good chili so I don't have any preferences for it. To me chili is a great way to get rid of leftovers, so I usually just go with whats in the frdige and pantry. Last week I had a couple pounds of leftover smoked rib trimmings so I started with that and used only stuff I had on hand to make a pot of chili: 4 ears of corn leftover from a party the day before, 3 cans of beans (black, kidney and pints), fresh hatch chiles, onion, bell pepper and spices. It wouldn't win any awards and purists would scoff at the amount of beans, but it super cheap and my roommates devoured up the whole pot in two days.

Once the weather cools I think I'm going to try my hand at a good chili recipe and see how it goes.

[wenus2]

If you want ideas to try out, here are some of the winning recipes from the International Chili Cookoff dating back to 1970.
Chili Recipes

Great Link. I've competed in a handful of ICS competitions, it's really a good time. Never won, but we do have a handful of peoples choice trophies collecting dust.

If you are a chili fan and really want to step up your product, the best improvement you can make is to increase the quality of your chili powder and cumin. While I will not doubt America's Test Kitchen's ranking of grocery store brands, I will add that Gebharts is the choice of many pros. Beyond that, none of those options hold a candle to using a REAL FRESH NEW MEXICO CHILI POWDER. Also be sure and check out the SW Blackening Rub from these guys, it's on a whole 'nother level than what most of us are used to seeing.
Chili powder has a short shelf life, sealed or not. Almost anything sitting on your grocery store shelf has already lost most of its ooomph. Keep your chili powder sealed air-tight in the freezer to get the most out of it.

Also, don't forget the tortillas OR cornbread!