For NAChef, Chief's 2015 Chili Recipes

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

NAChef, I posted this for you. Hope it meets your needs, and that you like it.

Here's what I made, and what the crowd, and some of the judges said was the best they ever ate. They were talking about my hot chili, though the mild was well received tooRed Chili #7

Ok. Due to popular demand, here it is in all its glory.
This is a Northern-Midwestern-style chili, with beans, fresh and canned veggies, and both fresh and dried peppers. It is not Texas Red chili. It is a regional favorite. If you are one of those who insist that Texas Red style chili is the only chili that you will eat, then walk away. But if you like Midwestern chili, this will satisfy your chili cravings. Enjoy.
Cut down to make a family serving.

Ingredients:
19 oz. can diced tomatoes
19 oz. can Dark-Red Kidney Beans
10 oz. can Pinto Beans
1 stalks Celery, sliced
1 ½ lb. coarse-grind ground beef (good quality stuff)
1 ea. dried, Jalapeno Peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 small can Chipotle Peppers
1/2 large onion
3/4 tsp. ground Coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground Cumin
2 tbs. hot Chili Powder
1 tbs. freshly-minced Cilantro
1 tbs. Masa Harina
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. Mesquite flavored Liquid Smoke

If possible, grill the ground beef over smoky hardwood, with the lid down. When the patties are done, break up for the chili. If you can grill them, you don’t need the liquid smoke. If you can’t grill the meat over hot coals (or even on a gas grill), proceed as follows.

Brown The ground beef and set aside. In a large pot (must hold about 7at least a gallon) add the canned stuff. Chop the onion into bite-sized pieces and throw into the pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for two hours, stirring every fifteen minutes or so to prevent burning the chili to the bottom of the pan.. Remove from the heat and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Put into meal-sized freezer bags and save for future use, leaving enough out for a good meal.








To make six gallons of the crowd-pleasing hot chili, use this recipe:

The Chief’s Hot Chili
Serves a bunch.

6 lbs. diced tomatoes (1 #10 can)
6 lb. can Kidney Beans (1 #10 can)
6 lb. can Pinto Beans (1 #10 can)
3 stalks Celery, sliced
6 lb. coarse-grind ground beef (good quality stuff)
6 Jalapeno Peppers
6 Anaheim Peppers
3 Ghost peppers (Dried Buhk Jalokia)
3 Carolina Reapers
2 Serrano Peppers
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 can Chipotle Peppers
5 dried Japone Peppers
Small bottle Tabasco Sauce
3 large onions
1 bunch Cilantro
2 tsp. ground Coriander
1 1/2 tbs. ground Cumin
17 oz. hot Chili Powder
1/2 cup freshly-chopped Cilantro
½ cup Masa Harina

This makes about six gallons of chili. If you want to please a crowd of chili-heads, that love it hot, this is for you. Of coarse you can cut it down. Just do a little math. Use the first recipe from this post and start adding the hot peppers.


Mesquite flavor Liquid Smoke to taste, or better yet, grill the ground beef over smoky hardwood, with the lid down, before breaking up for the chili.

Brown The ground beef and set aside. Im a huge pot (must hold about 7 gallons) add the canned stuff. Chop the onion into bite-sized pieces and throw into the pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for two hours, stirring every fifteen minutes or so to prevent burning the chili to the bottom of the pan.. Remove from the heat and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Put into meal-sized freezer bags and save for future use, leaving enough out for a good meal.

For the mild version, omit the hot peppers.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[NAchef]

Awesome!! Thank you! I will be making some in the next week.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Awesome!! Thank you! I will be making some in the next week.

Oh, add the meat to the chili before it goes into the fridge.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[cinisajoy]

Oh Chief,
You just made my head spin.
I can't say I have ever had canned pinto beans.

 

[Cheryl J]

Sounds good, Chief. At least the first one does, not sure I could handle the heat of the other one.

Cinisajoy, I always have canned pintos on hand, along with several other types of canned beans - they're necessary staples in my pantry.

 

[cinisajoy]

Sounds good, Chief. At least the first one does, not sure I could handle the heat of the other one.

Cinisajoy, I always have canned pintos on hand, along with several other types of canned beans - they're necessary staples in my pantry.

I keep dried pinto beans at all times.
And sometimes frozen cooked pinto beans.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Oh Chief,
You just made my head spin.
I can't say I have ever had canned pinto beans.

You just open the can, drain them, then rinse with water. They taste and feel just like the ones I cook from dried, but take so much less time to incorporate into the chili.

At home, I usually start with dried beans, whether they be great northern, navy, kidney, lima, pinto, red beans, or even black-eyed peas. But when I'm forced to use a health department approved working kitchen, with three sinks, and have to cook my chili in a steam kettle, then I cut corners to save time and space, and to stay out of the working cook's way. The people who eat my chili don't know, or care that I use canned beans, as long as they are not sweet beans . When using an approved, pro kitchen, I had to adapt my techniques to the equipment available. Oh, and just so you know, cleaning a steam kettle that has just seen 8 gallons of chili reduced to 6, with a crust of chili residue on the sides, well, it takes longer to clean than does the pot I use at home.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I just re-read my first post. I accidentally put fresh cilantro in the recipe twice. This pungent herb is very strong. I would suggest mincing a 1/4 cup and stirring it into the chili. Let it simmer for about ten minutes and taste. The cilantro flavor should add its magic to the chili, but not overpower. Remember the rule - if there's not enough, you can always add more. Once it's in the pot, you can't take it out.

Cilantro will add wonderful flavor to chili, but can also ruin it if too much is used. Go slowly.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[cinisajoy]

Thanks for the lesson on beans.
I think I would rather clean your steam kettle than dirty lunch dishes that had been sitting in dry tubs for between 3 and 6 hours.
Worked once as the only dishwasher and the owner was so cheap that the dishwasher only worked the evening shift.

Now can I borrow your rule to tell my daughter?

 

[CharlieD]

Awesome.

 

[CharlieD]

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

"I'm a pepper; he's a pepper; she's a pepper, we're a pepper. Wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?"

Seeeeeeya' Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Steve Kroll]

6 Jalapeno Peppers
6 Anaheim Peppers
3 Ghost peppers (Dried Buhk Jalokia)
3 Carolina Reapers
2 Serrano Peppers
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 can Chipotle Peppers
5 dried Japone Peppers

Hey Chief,

Wisconsin boy here. As far as the term "midwestern chili" goes, I don't recall my midwestern mom ever putting these non-midwestern ingredients into her midwestern chili when I was a kid.

It was more like hamburger, canned tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, and chili powder (and not a lot of chili powder). That was about it. And it was pretty much the same thing pretty much everywhere I had it. Your recipe sounds fine, but I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say it's regional.

Maybe a better term would just be the "Chief's Chili."

 

[Dawgluver]

Hey Chief,



Wisconsin boy here. As far as the term "midwestern chili" goes, I don't recall my midwestern mom ever putting these non-midwestern ingredients into her midwestern chili when I was a kid.



It was more like hamburger, canned tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, and chili powder (and not a lot of chili powder). That was about it. And it was pretty much the same thing pretty much everywhere I had it. Your recipe sounds fine, but I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say it's regional.



Maybe a better term would just be the "Chief's Chili."

The first time I ever saw a chile pepper was when we had a family get-together up at the lake in Canada. I may have been 8 at the time. My aunt cracked a couple of dried peppers into a bunch of ground beef, beans, and tomato sauce. I found it fascinating.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Hey Chief,

Wisconsin boy here. As far as the term "midwestern chili" goes, I don't recall my midwestern mom ever putting these non-midwestern ingredients into her midwestern chili when I was a kid.

It was more like hamburger, canned tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, and chili powder (and not a lot of chili powder). That was about it. And it was pretty much the same thing pretty much everywhere I had it. Your recipe sounds fine, but I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say it's regional.

Maybe a better term would just be the "Chief's Chili."

I've had what at the time, I considered hot chili, that had the ingredients you named, except in the U.P. it has to have a noticeable celery flavor. But you're right about my recipes. No one used Masa Harina in their chili, nor the varieties of peppers that I add, or extra cumin, or coriander, though bell peppers were found from time to time. All I know is that I loved the chili that I ate here, whether it was the hot chili from one of our restaurants, or my mother's wonderful chili. My Dad made great chili, my friend's parents made great chili, and most of it tasted very similar. Some were thicker than others, and some were served over rice. But they all had kidney beans, onion, celery, chili powder, and tomatoes, and it was one of my favorite meals.

I guess I picked up on extra flavors from living in San Diego, and personal experimentation. Yes, we can call it simply - The Chief's Chile.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[RPCookin]

Hey Chief,

Wisconsin boy here. As far as the term "midwestern chili" goes, I don't recall my midwestern mom ever putting these non-midwestern ingredients into her midwestern chili when I was a kid.

It was more like hamburger, canned tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, and chili powder (and not a lot of chili powder). That was about it. And it was pretty much the same thing pretty much everywhere I had it. Your recipe sounds fine, but I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say it's regional.

Maybe a better term would just be the "Chief's Chili."

I was raised in Minnesota, and I agree. My mother had a small tin of Red Owl cayenne pepper that lasted her for more than 20 years, and was still half full when I discovered it in her pantry here in Colorado. It was never used in her chili con carne. I've never understood the need that some have for cranking the heat to the point of being barely endurable. I like foods like chili a lot spicier than my Mom did, but only for accent, not for the primary element.

The Chief has more than once mentioned the flavor of ghost peppers. I don't see how one could tell if they have any flavor because the heat overpowers any flavor considerations. I know for a fact that I wouldn't touch any chili made from his spicy recipe.

I had the same reaction from some of the jerk sauces that I tried in Jamaica. Too hot for any sort of enjoyment. The jerk that I had in the Bahamas was much milder heat-wise, but had great flavor. The mild jerk spice that I use comes from Savory Spice Shop, and has awesome flavor with minimal heat. I sometimes add some ghost pepper salt to up the heat while still maintaining some control.

I usually add a couple of jalapeños to my chili, and I'll leave some of the core ribs to preserve some heat, but I only rarely use the entire pepper. Again, I like to add the flavor while controlling the heat. I don't see the best gauge of a chili's quality being its heat level. Good chili has a complex flavor profile, and the heat is just one facet of that. Making it hot enough to overpower the more subtle flavors is self-defeating.

All of this is of course, just my opinion. I'm certainly not anti heat. I have an entire shelf in my spice cabinet devoted to hot spices, with things like ghost pepper and habeñero salts; extra hot chili powder; hot ghost curry; piri piri spice; harissa spice; and dried Trinidad scorpion peppers. Some of them have both flavor and heat, others like the Trinidad peppers are pure heat. I use all of them carefully because I have been known to ruin a dish by being too heavy handed.

 

[CharlieD]

The thing is you get used to hit. I was raised in Ukraine. The only spice there was salt. Black pepper was a commodity. And I hate black pepper. But when I came here I discovered cayenne pepper and I love it. Slowly I am using more and more of it. And I do taste the flavor of other things/ingredients.


Sent from my iPhone using Discuss Cooking

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've never understood the need that some have for cranking the heat to the point of being barely endurable. I like foods like chili a lot spicier than my Mom did, but only for accent, not for the primary element.

The Chief has more than once mentioned the flavor of ghost peppers. I don't see how one could tell if they have any flavor because the heat overpowers any flavor considerations. I know for a fact that I wouldn't touch any chili made from his spicy recipe...

But I can taste everything in my hot chili. Each of those hot peppers has a different taste profile, and the other ingredients add to the complex flavor.

I've been eating hot foods for a long time, and like you, I don't enjoy pain. The first time I tried Tabasco Sauce, I thought my tongue was going to burst into flames. Pepperoni used to be iffy for me. I had to eat it with a glass of milk. Over time, I developed the ability to eat hotter than ordinary foods. Fresh habenero's taste sweet. Bell peppers have a strong chlorophyll flavor, with a few other notes similar to cucumber, with a hint of bitterness. Cayenne peppers have very little flavor, while paprika can be bitter if too much is used, and is always pungent. Ghost peppers are mildly pungent, with a smoky component.

No, I don't use peppers because they are hot, or to show off how tough I am. And I don't think cajoling others to try my hot chili, so that they are in pain, is funny at all. I warn everyone that my hot chili is hot. And I know that my hot chili was gone before anyone else's chili was half gone, out of over thirty pots of differing chilies. I use the peppers for flavor. The heat doesn't bother me. And I make a mild version for those who don't like their chili so hot.

My hot chili doesn't cause me pain, at all (unless it goes down the wrong hole, or up my nose after a sneeze. trust me, you don't' want that experience) It does provide wonderful flavor, IMO. I am not a heat junkie, but rather, a flavor junkie. I fully understand that there are those that shouldn't eat my hot chili. I also know that one of the judges of the last cook-off I was in stated that my hot chili was the best he'd ever eaten, and the only one out of all the different offerings that he looked for so that he could have some more.

Make your chili to your expectations, and enjoy it completely with your family and friends. I will make mild to medium hot chili for most of my family. But I have family members, and friends who can go beyond my heat tolerance, and want it hotter still. So I will continue to make my hot chili beyond the heat tolerance of most people, because for some, well, it just makes them smile when they eat it.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North