Chili

[In the Kitchen]

Haven't a clue as to what category this one goes! Just got recipe to put dark chocolate in chili. Anyone done this? Tastes wonderful. Hope everyone else likes it. New one on me, chocolate! I like it alone but maybe even better in chili.

 

[marmalady]

Yep, it's great! Actually comes from very traditional Mexican recipes like 'mole' which use chocolate - just a bit - to add another dimension of flavor!

 

[In the Kitchen]

marmalady, first time I fooled them! No one guessed it was chocolate. Thought honey or brown sugar but not chocolate. Well, you are ahead of me. It was delicious. didn't put many beans due to gas everyone worried about. Hardly had any left but will use for chili mac, they like that too. Thanks marmalady. Glad you like it too.

 

[htc]

Can someone post a recipe or guidelines of how much chocolate to use? Is it ok to use unsweetened, instead of dark chocolate?

Thanks!

 

[PA Baker]

I think my recipe calls for 2 1 oz squares of unsweetened chocolate. So yes, it's OK to use unsweetened.

 

[marmalady]

I think I've posted this before, but couldn't find it, so here goes again; this put me in the winner's circle at a cookoff!

SPICE RACK RED CHILI WITH BEANS



¾ lb. Ground beef
1 tsp. Celery seed
¾ lb. Ground pork
1 T. mild chile powder blend
1 cup onion, ½ inch dice
½ - 1 T. ancho chile powder*
1 cup red bell pepper, ½ inch dice
1 tsp. Chipotle chile powder*
1 cup green bell pepper, ½ inch dice
2 bay leaves
1-2 fresh jalapenos, minced*
1 T. ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 tsp. whole cumin
½ - 1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. dried marjoram
1 12 oz. bottle of beer**
2 tsp. dried tarragon
2 14 ½ oz. cans pinto beans, drained
1 tsp. coriander
¼ cup brewed strong coffee
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 7 oz. can Ortega mild green chiles
½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
1 cup crushed plum tomatoes
1 14 oz. can beef stock

Mix all dry spices/herbs together in a small bowl, and set aside. In a Dutch oven or large pot , heat ½ T. oil over medium heat. Add ground pork and ground beef and cook over medium heat until just cooked through, breaking up any large pieces. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Turn the heat to medium high and add the onions, jalepenos, red and green bell peppers, and garlic; saute until just soft ( 3-4 minutes), adding another ½ T. of oil if needed. Add the dry spice mixture and cook 1 minute until the spices are fragrant. Add the meat back in to the pot and stir to mix well.

Add the beer, tomatoes, coffee, stock, green chiles, and cocoa powder. Stir well, and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the pinto beans and simmer another 45 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, and add more salt if needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.

* For a milder chili, use smaller quantities of these ingredients. For a really spicy chili, increase at your own risk!
** Any lager type beer – I used Sam Adams.

Quantity: 2 quarts.

Servings: Makes eight 1 cup servings, or six 1 ½ cup servings.


Note - I only used 2 tsp in this recipe - when I made it using more, the chocolate started overpowering everything else.

 

[jennyema]

You should always use unswetened chocolate. Not semisweet.

Otherwise you can lose control of the sweetness of the final product. Difft. mfrs use difft amounts of sugar in the chocolate. You don't want chili to taste sweet.

I always put some unsweetened chocolate in my chili. On Sunday I didn't have any in bar form so I used cocoa powder and that worked very well.

I also always use ancho puree to give it a deeper flavor.

 

[DampCharcoal]

I've also seen chili recipes that call for a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter per half gallon of chili. I've meant to try it many times but I always chicken out! :roll:

 

[jennyema]

Peanut butter is sometimes used as a thickener in chili, but I don't care much for it.

I prefer masa harina.

A while back a college squash player died on a road trip from eating chili that was thickened with peanut butter. She was allergic to peanuts. She had inquired and warned them of her allergy, but the idea of peanut butter in chili was unknown to waitstaff and kitchen people.

 

[PA Baker]

I prefer masa harina.

How much do you use in your chili?

 

[marmalady]

You don't need much - for the recipe I posted, use a tablespoon or so to start, then add more if you need it. Old corn tortillas crumbled up work really well as thickeners, too.

 

[In the Kitchen]

This is the one I tried. Have to try marmalady's next. Lot more work than the one I tried. As long as it's good.

Chili In A Hurry

Yield: 12 to 14 servings.
3 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, diced

1 or 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (40-ounce) bottle ketchup (such as Brooks)

1 (28-ounce) bottle ketchup, optional

1 (about 1.25-ounce) package chili mix (such as Brooks)

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

About 1 1/2 cups water, optional

Salt

Ground black pepper

1 (16-ounce can) chili beans, optional

In a deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef with onion and garlic. When beef is cooked through and onion is translucent; drain and discard fat.

Add 1 can tomato paste, 40 ounces ketchup, chili mix, chili powder, cumin seeds, ground cumin, thyme, mustard, chocolate, salt and pepper to taste and beans. Stir until chocolate melts. If mixture is too thick, stir in water. If mixture is too thin, add the remaining 1 can tomato paste or the remaining 28 ounces ketchup. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

PER SERVING (based on 12 servings): 386 calories; 14.5g fat (34 percent calories from fat); 6g saturated fat; 41mg cholesterol; 28g protein; 37g carbohydrate; 14g sugar; 4g fiber; 1,412mg sodium; 50mg calcium; 910mg potassium.

Tester's note: We thought this thick, sweet and not-too-spicy chili made a great topping for hot dogs.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

You don't need much - for the recipe I posted, use a tablespoon or so to start, then add more if you need it. Old corn tortillas crumbled up work really well as thickeners, too.

Or you can take the fresher ones, break 'em up into chip-sized pieces, and put them in hte bowl. They add a phenomenal flavor. I'm talking soft corn tortillas though. Also, hominy has a similar flavor and can be added to chili.

Seeeeeya: Goodweed of the North