Tweak Chili Recipe

[Venom8431]

I've been making chili more often than usual lately and feel it's time to change the recipe a little bit.

Here's what I normally do:

- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large red onion diced
- 2-3 Jalapenos diced
- 2-3 gloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans red kidney beans
- 14.5 oz can diced tomato (actually, only about 3/4 of the can)
- 1/2 c ketchup
- 1/4-1/2 c water
- Pinch sugar
- Chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and cumin (still messing with measurements here)
- Few splashes of Tabasco and Sriracha
- Salt pepper

I first brown the beef and then add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until the onion is clear and the jalapenos are soft. I drain excess fat and then mix in everything else and simmer for about 45 min.

I've been thinking about ditching ground beef in favor of cubed or stripped beef. If I were to do that, what type of meat should I use? I've also considered putting in a chipotle pepper with some adobo sauce, but am not sure if that is too much spice.

[_JP_]

I never make chili the same way twice. It's one of those dishes that you can be very creative with and still get great results.

[chainfire]

I never make chili the same way twice. It's one of those dishes that you can be very creative with and still get great results.

+1 I don't think I've ever made chili the same way twice either...some things I've tried with some success:

chicken and lamb are usually good meats
substitute molassass (or chocolate) for the sugar
add a little beer
tomato paste instead of ketchup

and the chipotle pepper with some adobo sauce? I'm a wimp and if I do add some it's very little. :smile:

[Jim]

I would ditch the catchup and water, add a beer. You have no masa or corn meal in there, add 1/4 cup to the meat after you brown but before the liquid. Any cheap meat can be used, chuck or any shoulder cut. Half pork and beef can be used. Ask your butcher to use a sausage grind size (coarse) on the meat.

I cook my Chile for at least 4 hours in a 280 degree oven so I don't have to stir it.
Add beans after its done.

[gollum83]

Adding some chipotle pepper definitely changes the flavor a lot, giving the chili a nice smokey flavor.

Anyway, like others have said, I don't really make it the same every time I make it. One thing to try is beer. Usually I'll add about half a bottle to the meat when I'm browning it and the other half to the actual chili. And use something that has some flavor to it. You know like a good strong stout or even an IPA.

Other things I've used it chili include: chicken, bacon, pork, corn, a little baking cocoa, bell peppers, various fresh chili peppers, etc. Point is use your imagination.

[ratcheer]

I've been thinking about ditching ground beef in favor of cubed or stripped beef. If I were to do that, what type of meat should I use?

The first thing I would try would be plain old "stew meat". If that proves to be unsatisfactory, then maybe round steak, cut up into small pieces.

Tim

[bradyarz]

+1 on adding the beer. i usually use something hearty from sam adams or dogfishhead. great results.

[Venom8431]

Decided I'm going to make some chili tonight. Bought about 2 lbs of chuck roast that I'm going to cube as well as some Guinness to replace the water. Figured I would also dollop some molasses and/or brown sugar. Will probably up the spice factor with more hot sauce and the chipotle peppers/adobo.

I post the results later on.

[The Nid Hog]

Try substituting pork for beef. Building chili around pork can take you in whole different directions.

I'm about due for making a big pot of chili myself. It's a pretty amazing stew. One single thing that you can make so many different ways. When I was broke in school, my buddies and I used to make it with the most ordinary stuff--canned beans, ground beef, chopped onions some beer and chili powder--whatever we could get. It was fantastic. When I was in the Marines, my Gunny would put together a couple of our MREs and made an unbelievable chili. It was like a ritual--he was very secretive about it, swearing and chasing everybody away. I know that he put the coffee and cocoa packets into it, and he'd dump just about a whole bottle of Tabasco in too. Bags of beans, pucks dried meat or the nasty compressed meat patties. Pretty much everything except the Chicklets and the wad of toilet paper. On a cold night I would have sworn that a canteen cup full of that chili came from a Cordon Bleu chef's kitchen.

When you make it at home, you can experiment with lots of different things. My favorite is a combination of two recipes that I got from a Sunset magazine cookbook that I picked up in a second hand store. I'll dig it out and post the recipe later.

In the meantime, just thinking about a nice bowl of chili has me ready to crack open a cold bottle of beer. Cheers Badger and Blade!

[Kouros]

I substitute a whole can of tomato paste for masa to give it thickness and also add a bottle of Guinness.

[_JP_]

Ground lamb, ground or cubed beef, ground or cubed pork or a mix of meats makes it into my chili. Even ham, if there is some left over laying around. It's a dish that I can use to clean out the refrigerator. I'll throw in onion, celery, bell pepper, picante sauce, Heinz 57, A1, ketchup, BBQ sauce, or whatever hot sauces suits my mood. The thing is to taste as go and adjust from there.

[Venom8431]

I substitute a whole can of tomato paste for masa to give it thickness and also add a bottle of Guinness.

That's funny. I added a bottle of Guinness to mine. Still cooking though. :mad:

[Venom8431]

Try substituting pork for beef. Building chili around pork can take you in whole different directions.

I'm about due for making a big pot of chili myself. It's a pretty amazing stew. One single thing that you can make so many different ways. When I was broke in school, my buddies and I used to make it with the most ordinary stuff--canned beans, ground beef, chopped onions some beer and chili powder--whatever we could get. It was fantastic. When I was in the Marines, my Gunny would put together a couple of our MREs and made an unbelievable chili. It was like a ritual--he was very secretive about it, swearing and chasing everybody away. I know that he put the coffee and cocoa packets into it, and he'd dump just about a whole bottle of Tabasco in too. Bags of beans, pucks dried meat or the nasty compressed meat patties. Pretty much everything except the Chicklets and the wad of toilet paper. On a cold night I would have sworn that a canteen cup full of that chili came from a Cordon Bleu chef's kitchen.

When you make it at home, you can experiment with lots of different things. My favorite is a combination of two recipes that I got from a Sunset magazine cookbook that I picked up in a second hand store. I'll dig it out and post the recipe later.

In the meantime, just thinking about a nice bowl of chili has me ready to crack open a cold bottle of beer. Cheers Badger and Blade!

It seems like pork is the way to go next time. Wish I could try some of that Marine chili. There are few things I love more than foods with excessive amounts of Tabasco. Thanks in advance for the recipe that's coming. But if you can't find it no worries.

[DarkDragon786]

How many people can you serve with the recipe as it is written?

[Alacrity59]

I usually make mine with three beans. A can of Red, a can of chickpeas, a can of black. I always rinse the nasty stuff they are packed in off. Usually a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Sliced mushrooms go well and what ever bits of sweet peppers I have lying around. The one spice I use not mentioned that I use fairly heavily is oregano.

Over the last few years I've toned down the spiciness to avoid blood spurting out of the eyes of the folk I share with.

I agree with the chipotle . . . gotta love the smokiness. If I have a tin open a bit goes in too.

[Venom8431]

How many people can you serve with the recipe as it is written?

I think it can serve around 5 people.

Good news! Just ate some chili and it was awesome. Meat was tender and had enough spice to get my nose watering after 3 spoons.

Here's what I did differently:

- 1-1/4 lb chuck roast, cubed
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 3/4 c Guinness
- 1/4-1/3 c tomato paste
- Whole 14.5 oz can of tomatoes, drained
- Disgusting amount of chili powder, followed by moderate amounts of cayenne, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkling of cumin
- 1/4 bottle of Tabasco (probably closer to half)
- About 2 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 large chipotle, diced
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce

Everything else stayed the same. I followed the same cooking method as well, but simmered for an hour.

[ouch]

+1 on the dark beer (I use Yuengling porter- cheap and good)

Try pinto and/or black beans instead of (or in addition to) the kidneys.

Chipotle pepper- either canned in adobo sauce or as part of the following pepper blend.

Instead of chili powders toast, reconstitute, and puree a variety of dried peppers- ancho, passilla, anaheim- whatever you can find.

Toast and grind some cumin seed.

Thicken with masa slurry.



Every chili is different.

[Mr_Amazing]

I was thinking the other day about chili because my mother made some nasty stuff. Normally she does a better job, but this stuff was brutal. One thought that entered my mind is that you could try braising the meat. It wouldn't work with ground beef, but any cheap stuff, like a pot roast, would be perfect. It would really make for a tender chili.

[Yushiro]

Oddly enough, I make chili too, despite having never set foot in the US and being surrounded by the crap that the local Wendy's serves. Its been elevated to a must-have comfort food. My recipe is more or less like the ones posted but with an exception, i use a lot of the 'Trinity' (green peppers, onions and celery), beans are usually kidney beans. Never tried it with cumin tho even though I'm Indian and our curries are loaded with the stuff..will be keepin' an eye on this thread. :thumbup1:

[Venom8431]

+1 on the dark beer (I use Yuengling porter- cheap and good)

Try pinto and/or black beans instead of (or in addition to) the kidneys.

Instead of chili powders toast, reconstitute, and puree a variety of dried peppers- ancho, passilla, anaheim- whatever you can find.

I got off the multi-bean chili for a while because I made a 13 bean chili and thought it was just way too much. Although, I took out the meat as my wife is mostly vegetarian (eats a burger about twice a year) and I didn't compensate for that.

I've been thinking about milling my own spices and doing the toasted pepper idea, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I'll also give the beer a shot next time, although I don't know how the Irish SWMBO will take to a non-Irish beer being in the house.


One thought that entered my mind is that you could try braising the meat. It wouldn't work with ground beef, but any cheap stuff, like a pot roast, would be perfect. It would really make for a tender chili.

While the meat was pretty tender, I felt like it could have broken down a bit more. I'll try braising next time.

[homebrewer]

Personally, I think the best thing that can happen to a chili recipe is to forget the recipe. Perhaps scary for some, but I find that the experimentation and eyeballing all quantities make for a better end product.

But as for what I would change in that recipe... substitute some of the beef for ground pork as mentioned before. Pork and tomatoes are required for chili IMHO. Ditch the ketchup and sugar.

On thing I would definitely add that I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet, is cinnamon. Perhaps not up to the full level of a Cincinnati chili, but a healthy pinch of quality cinnamon can add that extra little je ne sais quoi that really wakes up a bowl of red.

[Venom8431]

Perhaps scary for some, but I find that the experimentation and eyeballing all quantities make for a better end product.

One thing I would definitely add that I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet, is cinnamon. Perhaps not up to the full level of a Cincinnati chili, but a healthy pinch of quality cinnamon can add that extra little je ne sais quoi that really wakes up a bowl of red.

I almost never use real measurements. I just dump and taste. I find cooking more fun that way and enjoy not having to clean up measuring spoons. As of late, the only time I do accurately measure ingredients is when I bake.

One thing I can't stand food-wise is spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in my savory dishes. It just does not agree with my taste buds, even in small doses.

[kingfisher]

1) Toss a half a bar of Hershey's chocolate in it near the end.

2) Cook it longer. Simmer it for a few hours.

3) (and this is most important) Cook it the day before you want to eat it (or enter it into a chili cookoff. Put it into the refrigerator overnight, then heat it up the next day. Makes it taste about twice as good.


Oh, and one more, for good measure: Rather than Tabasco, use Melinda's hot sauce. Much better flavor.

[The Nid Hog]

Here's one of the recipes that I like:

Santa Fe Chili with Meat
(from Sunset’s Southwest Cook Book)

4 oz dried red New Mexico or California chiles
3 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
5 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons each ground cumin, ground cloves, dry oregano leaves, dry rosemary, and dry tarragon
2 large cans (28 oz. Each) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth

Rinse chiles, discard stems and seeds. Break into pieces. Combine chiles and water in large pan. Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes).

In a blender, whirl chiles and their cooking liquid until pureed. With a spoon, rub puree through a fine wire strainer. Discard residue. Set puree aside.

Heat oil in a 6 to 8 quart pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle meat with flour. Add meat and chile puree to pan and cook, stirring, for about five minutes.

Add herbs, tomatoes and their liquid, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until meat is very tender when pierced (3 to 4 hours), stirring often. If made ahead of time, let cool; then cover and refrigerate or up to 2 days. Reheat to serve. Makes about 12 servings.

[Venom8431]

Here's one of the recipes that I like:

Santa Fe Chili with Meat
(from Sunset’s Southwest Cook Book)

4 oz dried red New Mexico or California chiles
3 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
5 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons each ground cumin, ground cloves, dry oregano leaves, dry rosemary, and dry tarragon
2 large cans (28 oz. Each) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth

Rinse chiles, discard stems and seeds. Break into pieces. Combine chiles and water in large pan. Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes).

In a blender, whirl chiles and their cooking liquid until pureed. With a spoon, rub puree through a fine wire strainer. Discard residue. Set puree aside.

Heat oil in a 6 to 8 quart pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle meat with flour. Add meat and chile puree to pan and cook, stirring, for about five minutes.

Add herbs, tomatoes and their liquid, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until meat is very tender when pierced (3 to 4 hours), stirring often. If made ahead of time, let cool; then cover and refrigerate or up to 2 days. Reheat to serve. Makes about 12 servings.

Sounds pretty good. :drool: I'm a cilantro nut so I'll probably go overboard with that. Oregano too. Thanks!

[The Nid Hog]

Here's another one from the same book:

Rio Grande Chili

1 lb Pinto Beans (cook the dry beans ahead of time)
4 oz dried red New Mexico or California chiles
2 cans (12 oz) beer
8 pounds bone-in beef chuck [I substitute pork]
2 tablespoon salad oil
1 head garlic, mince or pressed
1 1/2 tablespoons each chili powder and paprika
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dry oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons bourbon
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse chiles, discard stems and seeds. Break chiles into pieces. Combine chiles and beer in a pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes). Whirl chiles and their cooking liquid in a food processor or blender until pureed. With a spoon, rub puree through a fine wire strainer. Discard residue. Set puree aside.

Cut beef from bones. Trim and discard excess fat. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in an 8 to 10 quart pan over medium high heat. Add meat, about 1/4 at a time and cook until well-browned. Lift out meat and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are soft (about 10 minutes). Add spices. Cook, stirring for two minutes. Add beef and juices that have accumulated, chile puree, broth, tomato sauce and bourbon. Stir well, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender (about 2 hours). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Serve with (in separate bowls): Pinto beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and chopped green onions. And, of course, Tabasco.

[blary54]

I love making Chili because it is so easy, cheap, filling and I can usually eat for a week.

This is my chili recipe: it kinda varies each time I make it.

1.5 pounds ground beef
2 cans of bushes hot chili beans.
Large can of diced tomatoes (the 24oz)
1 can tomato sauce(12oz)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 smaller onions or 1 big onion
2 habinero peppers(they really arnt that hot. Next time ill probably do 3)
1 can of corn niblets
Penseys Chili 3000 spice
Salt to taste
about 20 shakes of Tabasco sauce

Brown the ground beef and throw the onion in the pot at the same time. When thats good to go throw everything else in the pot.
Stir
Bring to boil and simmer for about an hour.

*Make sure you pick up some light sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and a small bag of Fritos.

[Venom8431]

I love making Chili because it is so easy, cheap, filling and I can usually eat for a week.

This is my chili recipe: it kinda varies each time I make it.

1.5 pounds ground beef
2 cans of bushes hot chili beans.
Large can of diced tomatoes (the 24oz)
1 can tomato sauce(12oz)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 smaller onions or 1 big onion
2 habinero peppers(they really arnt that hot. Next time ill probably do 3)
1 can of corn niblets
Penseys Chili 3000 spice
Salt to taste
about 20 shakes of Tabasco sauce

Brown the ground beef and throw the onion in the pot at the same time. When thats good to go throw everything else in the pot.
Stir
Bring to boil and simmer for about an hour.

*Make sure you pick up some light sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and a small bag of Fritos.

Sounds pretty tasty. But I'm afraid I'm a cracker man when it comes to my chili.