Why won't my chilis do their job in my chili con carne?

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cbloomers

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Messages
5
Location
Chelmsford, Essex
Hey!

Basically everytime I make a chilli con carne I can't get it spicy! Today I done it again and thought if I added two chili's that there be at least a bit of spiceness but no :mad:

Therefore, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas why my chilis werent creating that spice. Underneath is a brief overview of the recipe I follow just in case its something I'm doing.

Basically I sweat some onions and pepper, then add the mince. I cook that for a bit and when cooked add in chopped up red chilis with seeds, paprika, cumin and oregano. I cook that until they unleash their smell then I add some tomato puree and a tin of tomatoes. I bring that to boil and then simmer for a bit until its reduced a little before adding in a mixture of coffee and beef stock. I then bring this to the boil and simmer again. 15 minutes before the end I add kidney beans and let it simmer until its done.

Is there some ingredient counteracting the chilli, am I boiling it to much? I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks for help in advance guys!
 
Don't you add chili powder? If not, that's probably your problem. I know that if I add too much, it's too spicy.
 
Are you using dried or fresh red chili's? I've found lately that fresh peppers such as Jalapeno's just don't have the heat they used to have. I'm not sure of the reason, but I suspect the type of soil is the cause. If you're using dried red chili's, you may have gotten a tame package. I'd keep adding dried red pepper flakes from another source until you reach the degree of heat you want.
 
Sorry should have said been using fresh! Yeah i think theyve lost their kick too ... dissapointing really! Next time ill try with dried and/or chili powder!
 
Glad to see you working with peppers under your control, rather than whatever is in the chili powder jar. I like the flavor from an assortment of dried peppers, including chilis. If it's a big pot of food, two modest size dried chilis may not be enough. Chili con carne is no different from any other dish. It has to be tasted along the way.

I start by grinding an assortment of dried peppers, which I am fortunate to find in the store in a large display. I add a bit, let it percolate, and add more if needed, until it's right. Another thing you can do is pick up a can of chipotles, smoked jalapenos, usually packed in adobo sauce. They are pretty consistent for heat, consistency being desired by the packer, unlike the fresh jalapenos that I find can be almost any degree of heat (of lack of it) from week to week. (I suspect inadvertent cross-pollination.) Jalapenos are, I think too "green" tasting for beef chili (and if it ain't beef, it ain't chili.) Chipotles have a lot of the "green" roasted off.
 
There are many different types of chile peppers with heat ranging from zero to a zillion, so you are using a pepper that isnt hot enough to start out with.

What type of pepper are you using?
 
Just the standard red chilli peppers you get at the market. When I use them in Chinese food like Szechuan chicken they provide enough kick, just seems in the chili they die lol
 
I think general consensus is to stop using the red chilli peppers because I just don't get why in some foods they provide the spice and other foods they act non-existent!
 
Can you get chipoltle chilis in adobo. It is a canned product. What can you get in the way of while dried chilis?
 
Another fan here of chipotles in adobo. What you don't use in the chili, you can freeze for another batch. They can be pretty powerful, so I wouldn't use the whole can in one batch.
 
Find a source for hotter peppers.

Chipotles are dried smoked jalapeños and I'm not a big fan of a lot of the smoke flavor in my chili but you might,
 
I find that hot peppers can vary a lot in heat. The same kind, from the same store gives me different results. I am learning to taste along the way.

I make a roasted root vegi bisque with a couple of chili peppers thrown in. The first time I made it, it had the perfect amount of heat; the second time it was wimpy; and the third time it was bit too hot. Next time I will roast twice as much chilis as usual and add them to the soup a bit at a time. The rest can go in the freezer.
 
If its heat you want and they're available use habaneros to supplement the peppers that you normally use.

Add them very slowly a bit at a time.Let them "cook in", taste, add, taste until the heat is just right.

I use habanero flakes for this purpose.

Go slow and be careful.
 
i'm not sure what you have available in your area of england, but if you have an indian or asian market nearby, ask the proprietor for spicier dried chilis. true indian food can blow your head off with it's spiciness if you ask for it.
 
Just because it's called a chile, that doesn't make it hot. I used to live in Colorado, and in the western US we had all sorts of peppers available - Anaheim, poblano, Fresno, jalapeno, habenero with greatly varying degrees of spiciness. In season we get both fresh and dried chiles from New Mexico and southern Colorado (Hatch's chiles are famous) which are flavorful, but not that spicy. Here in the Bahamas we have locally grown finger and Scotch Bonnet peppers which will singe your hair follicles. I can put 1/3 of a Scotch bonnet (that's about as big as the tip of my index finger to the base of the fingernail) minced in a pot of chili and it's as spicy as I can stand, and I like it pretty spicy.

I don't know what you consider spicy, and it's a very subjective taste. What I consider just pleasantly spicy would be much too hot for my wife's sister, yet I have friends who would consider it quite bland. If you want some control over the spiciness, you might consider ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if either is available in the UK. Both tend to be more consistent and measurable than chilis.
 
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I make my chili with nothing but fresh chilis,onions,garlic and beef. I use a tone of chilis and it is mild enough for my kids to eat. The chilies break down and add a ton of flavor but not much heat. I add some dried ground stuff near the end to bring up the heat. if you can get ground habanero try that but add a little bit at a time. the stuff is potent but has great flavor.
 
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