9/4/16 Chili Experiment #

[Zagut]

I can't count that high.


Into the crock pot on high.
1/2 pound large plate ground chuck
1 smallish onion. (course dice)
2 + cloves of garlic (course dice)
1 red pepper Cored and seeded (diced)
Big splash of liquid smoke
Cook on high until onions and pepper are softened stirring as you go. (Aprox 1 1/2 to 2 hours)

Now toss in
1 cup of red beans you soaked in enough water to cover since you thought about soaking them. If you didn't think to soak them then go ahead and toss them in anyway. They'll cook either way.
1 Tsp generic Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Paprika
About 1/4 tsp of dried Cilantro you've had sitting around for ages since you don't really like Cilantro and want to clean out the spice rack.
1 tsp of "Organic" Adobo Seasoning you bought on a whim and want to use up before you kick the bucket.
2 dried hot peppers you've had from last years harvest and you believe one is a cayenne but have no idea what the other is.
1/2 tsp of dried cayenne pepper in case the second pepper was a weakling.


Did I mention Stir, stir, stir.

Let that concoction go for about 1/2 hour. The spices like to cook a bit or so I tell myself.

Now add.
2 cups chicken stock because those beans will need more liquid and you just made it and haven't yet portioned it out to freeze for use at a later date so it's easier then digging through the freezer to find the beef stock you made ages ago.

That's it. Time to relax and wait for the chili to be done and the way to tell that is when the beans are done.

Taste often and adjust S&P and heat as necessary.








Okay I lied. That's not tonight's menu.
But it's what I've been cooking as I puttered around the house today.
Much more interesting then the hot dog I'll have for dinner.
And that dog just might find a bit of chili as a topping but the chili is going to be lunch next week and frozen portions for the future.

 

[jennyema]

Only a teaspoon of chili powder?

I use like a hundred times more....

 

[Cheryl J]

Sounds good, Zagut. Your post reminds me that it's about time to get the fixin's to make up a big batch of chili, now that fall is in the air. Yes, even in SoCal. It's so nice to be able to pull a meal or two sized portions of homemade chili out of the freezer.

I love cornbread with it. Once in a great while I make my own - but most of the time I doctor up a box of Jiffy cornbread mix with some chopped jalapenos and a little cheddar.

Oh....and have you tried chili over baked 'taters, smothered with cheese and onions....? Yum...

 

[Zagut]

Oops.

Thanks Jennyema for catching my goof.
Those first three should have been Tbs.
And I did end up adding a but more as an adjustment.
Also all measurements were by eye.

But 100 times more?
What's that?
About 33 Tbs?
I like chilies but that's a bit much for my taste.
Now if you up the Cumin too then we might give it a try.

It turned out rather well if I must say so myself.
It was one of those toss in what's easy, on hand, and what you want to use up recipes.



Cheryl, Chili is one of those things you always make up a big batch of.
And the crock pot was made for it. Toss whatever in and check it later.
Yes I've had it on taters.
Good eats.
It goes with many things so that's another reason to make enough to have on hand for later uses.

 

[larry_stewart]

Every time I make chili it's an experiment, to the point that I have no real recipe. As you said, just kinda toss what seems like it would work into the pot.

We serve ours with polenta ( made with cheddar cheese mixed in).

 

[Zagut]

Chili is not a recipe.

It's an evolution.

 

[Andy M.]

I like your process, keep going until it's perfect!

 

[larry_stewart]

With a recipe , such as chili, that is always evolving, do you guys bother writing down all the ' tweeks' in the recipe ?

I don't have a written recipe, I just have kind of a ' initial base' that I start with, then take it from there. never the same twice.

 

[CraigC]

Does anyone remember Luckytrim's "Chile File"?

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f62/awesome-possum-chili-81957-2.html

 

[jennyema]

Oops.

Thanks Jennyema for catching my goof.
Those first three should have been Tbs.
And I did end up adding a but more as an adjustment.
Also all measurements were by eye.

But 100 times more?
What's that?
About 33 Tbs?
I like chilies but that's a bit much for my taste.
Now if you up the Cumin too then we might give it a try.

It turned out rather well if I must say so myself.
It was one of those toss in what's easy, on hand, and what you want to use up recipes.



Cheryl, Chili is one of those things you always make up a big batch of.
And the crock pot was made for it. Toss whatever in and check it later.
Yes I've had it on taters.
Good eats.
It goes with many things so that's another reason to make enough to have on hand for later uses.

Hyperbole ....

But I did make chile over Labor Day and used half the clontainer of Gebhardts chile powder. So 5 tablespoons maybe

 

[Zagut]

I like your process, keep going until it's perfect!

I always have one problem with this approach.

It's never perfect.

With a recipe , such as chili, that is always evolving, do you guys bother writing down all the ' tweeks' in the recipe ?

I don't have a written recipe, I just have kind of a ' initial base' that I start with, then take it from there. never the same twice.

I used to try writing a recipe down but availability of ingredients when I want to make it and variations of taste at the moment caused me to give that up.

Your initial base approach is what I do now and let the chili decide what it wants.

Hyperbole ....

But I did make chile over Labor Day and used half the clontainer of Gebhardts chile powder. So 5 tablespoons maybe

Now that's a little more along the lines of what I've done.

I'll bet you it was good.

How much Cumin did you use?


CraigC, For some reason your post didn't multi quote.

Thanks for that blast from the past link.

But Opossum is not a meat I'd seek out although I have plenty enough around here to harvest and keep me in chili for years.

 

[Addie]

Only a teaspoon of chili powder?

I use like a hundred times more....

Yeah. If you are going to make chili, make it taste like chili.

 

[Rocklobster]

I have been adding a half tsp of cocoa powder and some brown sugar. Some may think that is heresy or sacrilege, but I think it really creates depth...

 

[Dawgluver]

I do the same thing, Rock.

 

[erehweslefox]

Chili is a process, and depends on what you have. I don't think I have ever made chilli the same way twice. So I agree with you there.

I break it down to components, I try to keep them as quarters in my chilli compass. sometimes I veer off to one side or the other, but north is a balance of all.

Meat component.

OK I do make a great vegan chilli, and I have to up the spice, and the starch to get to where I am with meat. Now if I am making a chili, well, I might not be buying Strip Steak, or even London Broil to cook up, heck it is going into a chili, so you know that ground beef that comes in a tube? Yeah. Use that.

Spice component.

obviously a tbsp of chili powder, 1 tbsp of cayenne, 2 tsp of black pepper, then it becomes, what we have. Cumin is great, it just can't really go well with Oregano. Every chili gets one stick of cinnamon. Not powder, stick, I keep it around just for this, it is like the bay leaf in beef stew, and it should be found and removed before serving.

Vegetable content:

One can Ro-Tel. Cut peppers to taste, I use one green, one red, and one orange. At least one onion. Fresh garlic, six cloves, diced. 2 lemons

Starch (if you are from texas, ignore this, and instead put a can of tomato paste in.)

I like three different 12 oz cans of different kinds of beans than one large can of kidney beans, so one white northern, one black, one kidney all 12 oz.

To wit, you want the spices, the onions and the garlic to all be diced and prepped at once in a moderate hot skillet (cast iron) to where they get aromatic and the onions are close to translucent. add the meat and move it around until browned on the surface. Drain fat and move the result into the pot, reserving a tbsp of the fat to cook the vegetables. Cook the veggies, until just before soft, also add to the pot. Add juice of two lemons.

Add all spices, beans etc.. to pot, stir well, bring to a near boil, reduce to simmer, simmer covered for at least 30 minutes to an hour. keeping heat low and covered.

taste and add salt and pepper. stir.

Serve with bread.

TBS

Todd

 

[msmofet]

Aside from the usual suspects I have added to my chili there are several that are unusual. Such as creamy peanut butter, coffee powder and unsweetened cocoa. NOT ALL at the same time. The cocoa tastes better the day after because it needs time to mellow. My DD who doesn't like chili much love the cocoa chilli. Add just enough but not so much they take over. They all add a depth of flavor.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Another vote for cocoa in chili. Shhh, don't tell Himself that it's in there...

 

[Addie]

Another vote for cocoa in chili. Shhh, don't tell Himself that it's in there...

I thought all chili recipes called for cocoa.

 

[CraigC]

CraigC, For some reason your post didn't multi quote.

Thanks for that blast from the past link.

But Opossum is not a meat I'd seek out although I have plenty enough around here to harvest and keep me in chili for years.

I wasn't referring to possum chili, but the adobe file listing the different chilis Luckytrim had compiled.

 

[erehweslefox]

Aside from the usual suspects I have added to my chili there are several that are unusual. Such as creamy peanut butter, coffee powder and unsweetened cocoa. NOT ALL at the same time. The cocoa tastes better the day after because it needs time to mellow. My DD who doesn't like chili much love the cocoa chilli. Add just enough but not so much they take over. They all add a depth of flavor.

Dearest Wife is alergic to chocolate, so the cocoa is anathema, but yes, yes and yes again, good you might be making a mole sauce? I'd do it, but there is no result in it, as the beans are bad.

Now peanut butter is interesting.

Great ideas.

TBS