Cooking Resources

blackcat · 04-25-2011, 04:07 PM

Hi all, I've made chili for dinner but it seems a little 'harsh'. Not sure what it needs, so I've turned to you for advice.

**PrincessFiona60** · 04-25-2011, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcat

Hi all, I've made chili for dinner but it seems a little 'harsh'. Not sure what it needs, so I've turned to you for advice.

Can you tell us what you've done so far?...That would give us a better chance at figuring it out

blackcat · 04-25-2011, 04:20 PM

This is the recipe I've used, just reduced by half: * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 3 medium onions, chopped * 6 garlic cloves, chopped * Coarse salt and ground pepper * 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste * 3 tablespoons chili powder * 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon * 3 pounds ground beef chuck * 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice * 1 bottle (12 ounces) mild lager beer * 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained * Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

**PrincessFiona60** · 04-25-2011, 04:22 PM

How long has it been cooking, chili is a slow simmer dish. What do you mean by "harsh?" Too hot?

The recipe sounds spot on, but a little heavy to me, with Chipotle.

Alix · 04-25-2011, 04:23 PM

Either add a tablespoon of molasses or about 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

blackcat · 04-25-2011, 04:27 PM

It's been cooking for a little over 2 hours. A little sweetness sounds good, Alix, maybe that's the answer. By harsh, I mean almost like raw chili powder, sorry, can't explain it any better. It's not too hot, we like a bit of spice.

Alix · 04-25-2011, 04:28 PM

The sweetness will do it. Don't put too much in at once though. Its tough to retract!

blackcat · 04-25-2011, 04:33 PM

Wow, just added the sugar, what a difference! Now it's got more of the taste I expected. Thank you both very much for your advice. I just knew I'd get help here.

taxlady · 04-25-2011, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcat

It's been cooking for a little over 2 hours. A little sweetness sounds good, Alix, maybe that's the answer. By harsh, I mean almost like raw chili powder, sorry, can't explain it any better. It's not too hot, we like a bit of spice.

Did you fry your chili powder before adding it? I almost always fry my spices before adding them. I notice that somewhat harsh, raw taste with a number of spices, mostly peppers, if I don't.

blackcat · 04-25-2011, 04:38 PM

Yes, I did fry it first. I'm big on making curries and the spices have to be fried out first, so I applied the same principle to the chili. Good question though. Thanks.