It was chilly now it is chilli
The past week the weather in this part of Virginia has been rainy and cool. It felt like fall was here finally and I was thrilled. My internal thermostat is on high and finally I could walk around in my shorts and not sweat. Meanwhile Steven and girls where swaddled in sweatsuits and socks. Honestly, it wasn't that cool. If they had done some physical work they would have warmed up and been just fine.
The weather begged for a big pot of soup or stew to be simmered on the stove. Eventually I decided on making a huge pot of chilli Thursday.
There are two schools of chilli makers. One with only meat and one with beans. I use meat and several kinds of beans. I like my dish to look pretty and appetizing. A big bowl of just meat doesn't do it for me.
I'll pause here while all the Texans are outraged.
Finished?
When I make chilli I make a huge batch. One because it is easier to make a large pot of chilli and two chilli tastes better when it sits and the flavors marry. I make enough that I have plenty to put in the freezer.
My recipe is not exact measures. Much of it is by taste. The heat of chilli is by mood. But the ingredients are pretty basic.
Angie's Chilli Bowl
4 cans light red kidney beans (I use Hanover beans for all)
4 cans dark red kidney beans (Hanover)
4 cans black beans (Hanover)
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 large can tomatoe paste
Open all cans and pour into a very large stock pot. Bring to a slow boil and turn down to simmer while preparing the other ingredients.
1 jumbo onion chopped
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespon olive oil
In a skillet, add oil and sweat onions and garlic. Add to stock pot that is simmering. You can add chopped bell pepper but I leave it out. It gives me heartburn.
8 pounds of ground beef
In skillet brown the ground beef. I use an 80/20 beef. Not too lean. It is the fat that gives beef the flavor.
You will have to brown the meat a few pounds at a time unless you have a very large deep skillet like mine.
Once browned add to the ingredients in the stock pot.
Mix well but not roughly. You don't want to break or mush the beans.
We like our chilli with a bite. Not hot, because the kids won't eat it but with a good bite. I like the flavor in layers. To the pot I add:
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 of a 5oz bottle of tobasco sauce
I would suggest adding a bit of the hot ingredients, tasting, then deciding to add more or not.
Your chilli pot should be pretty full and pretty thick. Liquid added should be in the form of beer. 1/2 to 1 bottle of good dark beer.
The next layer is the chilli powder seasoning.
You can use the store bought chilli spice or make your own. Sometimes I make my own and sometimes I don't. Whichever you prefer add to the pot until you like the taste. I add around 1/2 cup of chilli powder seasoning made with lots of ancho chilis. I LOVE the scent of ancho chilis. It is one of those scents that is extremely high on the sensuous smell scale for me.
Bring the chilli pot up to a slow simmer. Cook for at least 2 hours stirring occassionally so it doesn't stick on the bottom. This is a lot of chilli. The liquids will rise to the top leaving the heavy beans and meat to sit on the bottom.
Turn off the heat. Cover the pot. Leave to rest and the flabors to marry for several hours. (That why I make mine early in the morning.) This pot will hold a high heat for a long time.
Reheat if needed before serving.
Serve with various garnishes of cheeses, sour cream, chives, crackers, bagel chips, biscuits or cornbread.
The sun is out today and suddenly it doesn't seem like fall. I am glad I made the chilli yesterday. From this pot we have had 2 family meals, 1 late snack and put five 48 ounce containers in the freezer. The chilli in the freezer will taste even better when we get around to eating it later in the fall or winter. The flavors will marry and the layers of taste will be delicious. All the pretty colored beans will add to a festive look, too.
What is your secret to good chilli?
Our secret to good chili is browning the onions and garlic first, then adding the meat to the onion/garlic mix and browning some more. Then adding the browned meat to the bean/tomato mix. Spices pretty much like you said.
Your chili recipe sounds extremely familar. Lots like mine. I made huge pots of it as part of my christmas presents last year. We love chilli too especially on damp days.
I am not a bean person in my chili (its just coincidence that I am from Texas) and my beau makes the most fantastic chili ever, I am not sure all that he does to it, but some of the things that I know for sure is he uses different kinds of meat: ground beef, gound buffalo and a third that I am not sure about. The buffalo rocks! He cooks is forever and I know beer is the liquid, he uses fresh tomatoes and there is some cumin in it, no tabasco as that a bit vinegary for us but definitely chili poweder for heat. My mom has taught me to make an amazing pot of beans, but that a different meal (great with Turkey sausage links.) chili is amazing when its had time to sit and a serious treat is eggs, cheese and chili for brekfast.
My secret to chili (and I never use beans because neither I nor my husband really like them) is to blacken the onion in olive oil. My chili and spaghetti sauces are both much better as a result of this little trick.
Ah! I just made mine the other night. This is one of few things I cook well. My secret is to take some onion, tomato & jalapeño and puree it. I also throw in some brown sugar at the end. Mmmmmmm.....
And you have to have homemade corn muffins to go with it along with shredded sharp cheddar, chopped onion and sour cream to go on top.
My dad was the best chili maker around, and I have never learned to make it like he did. I am ashamed to admit I use the new Bush chili starter. It does have beans in it and I like the beans a lot.
"I'll pause here while all the Texans are outraged.
Finished?" LOL! I like to watch the Chili cookoffs on the Foodnetwork once in a while. I think the Texans just might be outraged!
Your recipe sounds very similar to mine, except I haven't made it with beer. I'll try it sometime, it does sound good!
Have you heard of "Cincinnatti Chili", where they put it on top of cooked spaghetti noodles?
yuck. I actually found several recipes for Cin. Chili in a cookbook once. Needless to say, I never made it that way.
You're killing me here. I just read the red velvet cake post, and then this, and now I'm sooooooo hungry for chili and cake!
Your recipe is similar to mine, but I have never made that big a batch at one time. I'm going to give it a shot.
I have no chili secrets but am INSANELY jealous that you have a skillet big enough to brown eight pounds of meat. Sounds, as always, delicious.
Hi Angie! I can so identify with this post. I love making a big batch of chilly the first sign of cooler weather, especially if a certain college football game is on (Go ND!). My secret to a good chili is, yes, beans with meat and then lots of toppings. Avocado, all sorts of bell peppers, tomato, sour cream. And then fresh corn bread.
I like the crunchiness of the raw bell peppers on top mixed with the softer, warmer textures.
And, I won't be back posting until Monday or Tuesday. I"m off for the weekend (a class I'm taking). And my house is now organized, almost every damn nook and cranny.
Hope you are well!
I love good chilli- and I like the kind with noodles and cheese too guys. But the best recipie I've found is here
It has good flavor and I hate tasteless chilli! Man I'm hungry!
P.S. I always make it in the crock pot.
That sounds scrumptious.. I'm not a chilli eater, but that sure made my taste buds water.
Good recipe. You didn't exactly warn against "commercial" chili powder, but you did mention using ancho. Stuff you get from Schilling is NOT good. I always used pequin. Great flavor.
Chilli just starts fall off in the most wonderful way. Looks like you have a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I use the Carroll Shelby's seasoning for my chili. A variation of chili is taco soup (got it from WW) and it not has only taco seasoning in it, but ranch dressing which adds a wonderful flavor. It also has corn in it. Very tasty and I usually freeze it in individual servings incase it is just me home eating.
You must have a look at the chilli cookoff on my blog.