Chilly weather is Chili weather...

10/02/2009 05:06:32 PM · #1

Post your chili recipes!

Im debating what I want to try tomorrow. Im either going to make a straight chili (with Yuengling in it) or a pumpkin chili with pumpkin puree thrown in(and a Pumpkin Ale in it)

Going to whip up some corn bread to go with it.

smardaz

10/02/2009 06:24:32 PM · #2

Originally posted by AJSullivan:

Post your chili recipes!

go to local supermarket and purchase one can of chili (Dennisons,Stagg, etc.)

open can, remove lid and let your cat sniff it so it knows it can stop meowing at the can opening sound.

heat chili in pot and consume, comply with wife's request to sleep on couch.

10/02/2009 06:34:36 PM · #3

Hahah.

Im leaning more towards:

2lbs of a ground beef
Kidney beans
Green and red peppers
Onion
Can of pumpkin
1 bottle of pumpkin ale
some pumpkin pie spice
tomatoes
and I think thats it.

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

10/02/2009 06:41:12 PM · #4

I make mine with skirt steak flaps, cut into pieces the size of the last joint of your little finger, seared hard in lard then braised in beef stock.

I make my own chile powders by searing 3-4 kinds of dried chilies in a cast iron pan then pulverizing them. I use garlic, I use onions, I use tomato paste and tomato sauce, I use cumin, I use fresh chilies from the garden (serranos or jalapenos), I use roasted, skinned poblanos in chunks.

I may use beans, but not always, and if I do I make them from scratch, I don't use the canned kind, unless I am being lazy.

The end result is meltingly tender but has some chew, and it's incredibly aromatic.

Sometimes cilantro goes in at the end, fresh cilantro.

R.

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

10/02/2009 07:01:35 PM · #5

LOL, you still got all those chillis I brought up to the Cape with me Bear??

10/04/2009 10:06:38 AM · #6

1.5 lbs of a ground beef
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of pumpkin puree
1 big ass can of dark red kidney beans
1 bottle of yuengling (didn't have time to get to the liquor store to grab pumpkin ale)
1 onion
1 green pepper
Dash of cinnamon
Healthy dash of red pepper flakes
Couple leaves off my basil plant too.

Holy moly was that some delicious chili. Also made up some quick corn bread and that was the perfect addition. The pumpkin made the chili have a little richness and sweetness to it, which was a nice contrast with the peppers spice.

Message edited by author 2009-10-04 10:07:08.

10/04/2009 10:11:02 AM · #7

Originally posted by JulietNN:

LOL, you still got all those chillis I brought up to the Cape with me Bear??

Not all of 'em, of course, but the stash is still holding up nicely...

R.

10/04/2009 10:15:50 AM · #8

Originally posted by AJSullivan:

Sounds tasty, but how can you call it "chili" if it doesn't have any chile peppers in it? That's like making a BLT without the bacon.

Made a batch of mine yesterday, BTW, with the addition of an entire head of pan roasted garlic and a pan roasted jalapeno, all minced up fine... It was (and is) lovely...

R.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

10/04/2009 10:19:05 AM · #9

Haha, well it was crushed red chili pepper and I also put in a good amount of this chili paste I have for making fajitas. Best stuff in the world.

It makes life so much easier, they sell these herb paste packs, the "mexican" one is cilantro, garlic, and chili pepper. I usually take those, throw it on some skirt steak with a whole juiced lime...oh man. Chop that puppy up with some onions and peppers...wooo.

On another note...im glad I slept alone last night.

NstiG8tr

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

10/04/2009 10:36:06 AM · #10

Originally posted by AJSullivan:

On another note...im glad I slept alone last night.

Talk about info overload

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

10/04/2009 10:44:29 AM · #11

More sensory overload.

danculwell

Sony DSLR-A200

10/04/2009 11:57:52 AM · #12

Well you've inspired me.

Leftover Squash Soup Chili

ground beef
leftover steaks from last night cut up
one more fresh steak for good measure
one onion
big chunk of cabage that was going to go bad if I didn't use it soon
garlic (all I had was dried damn it)
couple strips of bacon

got that all browned and cooked then added:

can of chili beans
can of black beans
bottle of 1554 black ale
can of diced tomatoes
big portion of leftover very tasty squash soup my wife made yesterday (butternut squash cooked and blended, bacon, cinnimon, brown sugar, half and half, chicken stock)
cumin
chili powder
cajun seasoning
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

It's currently simmering. I'll give a report this evening.

cowboy221977

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

10/04/2009 12:25:46 PM · #13

whats up with putting pumpkin and squash in chili. We do it slightly different in the south

danculwell

Sony DSLR-A200

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

10/04/2009 02:31:54 PM · #14

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

whats up with putting pumpkin and squash in chili. We do it slightly different in the south

I've never put squash in before but I thought I would give it a try. It's awesome by the way. Turned out very good. Sweet and spicy and meaty and rich.

shamrock

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

10/04/2009 03:39:21 PM · #15

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Mine is very similar to this, except i usually chop up a chuck rather than using skirt steak. I also use home grown tomatoes, chilis and jalapenos. Sometimes i roast some of the tomatoes first, which makes them sweeter.

Can't stand chili made with ground beef any more, not even coarse ground. It has no "bite".

10/04/2009 06:59:46 PM · #16

Originally posted by shamrock:

Can't stand chili made with ground beef any more, not even coarse ground. It has no "bite".

Right. It's a pathetic imitation of the real thing...

R.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120 f/4 S

10/04/2009 07:45:45 PM · #17

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by shamrock:
Can't stand chili made with ground beef any more, not even coarse ground. It has no "bite".

Right. It's a pathetic imitation of the real thing...

R.

Textually speaking I love it with ground beef. Unless your using super high end beef I've rarely had it done well, although somebody must be doing it right somewhere.

I use pinto's beans and Mexican beer. Dos Equis is fine and Corona works well too. I didn't see ketchup in any of your recipes, along with the fresh tomato's and other product. It adds a nice creamy consistency, flavor and has enough light sweetness to bring out the other tastes.

Cilantro at the end is key and along with both green and red peppers try chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for a low smoky flavor. Half a can chopped up with the sauce will give plenty of natural kick to replace the flakes or powders.

Message edited by author 2009-10-04 19:50:06.

bassbone

Nikon Z8

10/04/2009 07:48:07 PM · #18

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by shamrock:
Can't stand chili made with ground beef any more, not even coarse ground. It has no "bite".

Right. It's a pathetic imitation of the real thing...

R.

I third this statement. Using ground beef in 'chili' is only good when the 'chili is used as a condiment on a hotdog...

10/04/2009 07:57:12 PM · #19

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Textually speaking I love it with ground beef. Unless your using super high end beef I've rarely had it done well, although somebody must be doing it right somewhere.

I assume you mean "texturally"? And I assume you mean you have rarely had the ground beef version done well except with super high end beef? That's a hard paragraph to decipher.

When I DO want a finer-grained chili, to use as a component of another dish, I'll use the same skirt steak tips but chop them coarsely in the cuisinart.

I have tried it with ketchup and it doesn't do much for me. I have used chipotles en adobo on occasion and like them very much in the chili, but for the most part my guests do not. On the other hand, my chile powder is hand roasted-and-ground by me, and is a blend of a number of dried chilies, including a variety of heats, and it's very complex and satisfying.

R.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

10/04/2009 08:53:41 PM · #20

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by pawdrix:
Textually speaking I love it with ground beef. Unless your using super high end beef I've rarely had it done well, although somebody must be doing it right somewhere.

I assume you mean "texturally"? And I assume you mean you have rarely had the ground beef version done well except with super high end beef? That's a hard paragraph to decipher.

R.

I meant the chunked beef has to be really high end or it's hard to do well. I've never had a chunked version that I've liked but never asked what kind of cut was used. The 10-20 times I've had it done that way was pretty bad, pretty dry, even done by a few good cooks/chefs...so the jury is still out on it. I tend to simmer chili for hours so I'm pretty sure I'd kill the meat over time.

In general Spanish style cooking, they tend to cook the living crap out of their meats (between Spain, Mexico and Brazil) so even traditional preparations might not jibe with me. Contemporary takes on many of their dishes often outshine what I had years ago.

As for the ketchup...not a lot, just a little for sweetness but it does add a nice smooth texture.

eqsite

Nikon D7100

10/04/2009 09:11:53 PM · #21

Originally posted by pawdrix:

try chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for a low smoky flavor. Half a can chopped up with the sauce will give plenty of natural kick to replace the flakes or powders.

I also use the chipotles in adobo sauce, but I use cubed chuck roast and basically stew it in the adobo until it falls apart and then mix that with a green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, beef stock, roux base for the final product. I'll sometimes throw some ground beef in as well to give it some more contrasting texture.

Message edited by author 2009-10-04 21:12:43.

10/04/2009 09:19:42 PM · #22

Originally posted by eqsite:

Originally posted by pawdrix:
try chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for a low smoky flavor. Half a can chopped up with the sauce will give plenty of natural kick to replace the flakes or powders.

I also use the chipotles in adobo sauce, but I use cubed chuck roast and basically stew it in the adobo until it falls apart and then mix that with a green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, beef stock, roux base for the final product. I'll sometimes throw some ground beef in as well to give it some more contrasting texture.

I use the sauce in many things...almost anything. If it's there it'll find it's way into things I never would have thought would work. It has powerful and subtle presence at the same time. Interesting stuff.

In chili all you need is one or two peppers out of the can, with a teaspoon or so of the sauce and it has mucho bang.

Message edited by author 2009-10-04 21:22:11.

10/04/2009 09:29:46 PM · #23

Mine was a crockpot job...started it at 6am, and it cooked on low for about 11 hours and then it was on "warm" for another hour before we finally ate it. The fiance said it was a little spicy and her mouth was on fire, but I thought it was spot on, with the sweetness from the pumpkin (and the corn bread) balancing out the spice.

Also, I made the poor mans version of chili...can't afford choice cuts and all that jazz, The whole batch I made cost about $15 at the most, and it filled me up pretty well.

10/04/2009 09:30:36 PM · #24

Originally posted by pawdrix:

I meant the chunked beef has to be really high end or it's hard to do well. I've never had a chunked version that I've liked but never asked what kind of cut was used.

Well, I have a good source for very thick skirt steak tips with mucho marbling but no fat chunks to speak of, for like $4.25/lb. I sear that stuff hard, then simmer it in everything else for a few hours, then rest the whole thing overnight and reheat next day, and it is pretty much perfect as far as texture goes, a combination of tenderness and chew that everyone raves over, so maybe I'm the exception...

This doesn't work well at all with, say, "stew meat" or chuck or anything else I've tried... Flank steak is too lean. The thing is, the skirts have that long grain like the flanks, but they are MUCH better marbled...

R.