Of course "best" is according to the preferences of the one who is eating but I digress. I am a novice cook, at best, but have tried several times to develop an outstanding chili recipe. I like Wendy's chili but no mater what I do, I fall short, sometimes way short. I've read different recipes and figure that maybe I should add this spice or that ingredient to the point that one version of my recipe had probably all the spices and ingredients from all the different recipes I analyzed. I'm exaggerating but regarding to spices, probably not a lot. I've concluded that I am trying to be too clever or too fancy and that I need to back off and keep it simple. And this leads me to questions - lots of questions. I feel my goal is to develop a basic sound recipe that I can build from, but only if needed, rather that putting a bit of every spice on the shelf in the pot.
Most all recipes (those with meat) start with ground beef/chuck or cubed beef, onions and garlic. Most have tomatoes and versions of tomatoes (like paste, puree, sauce, etc) and some beans - pinto, kidney or both. Green peppers are common and Wendy's chili has celery. Not sure why as celery, IMHO, is pretty bland. And then there are the spices which where I see the most variation.
Obviously chili powder is needed. But why chili powder and paprika? Sometimes smoked paprika? Just for the smoke flavor and nothing more? And often cumin is added. Why cumin? I'm not sure I'm a big fan of cumin but it is in a lot of recipes that I like so maybe it's not the cumin I don't care for but something else. And if I left the cumin out the chili would be lacking. Beer is often added. Not a particular brand of beer just beer. There is some really bad tasting beer. And Worcestershire sauce? Oregano? Ground cayenne pepper vs jalapeño pepper? Both are hot but does the jalapeño (even one that has been seeded) bring something that the ground powder does not?
So there is a ton of questions here that I don't expect answered, no way. But I am hoping someone can help me simplify and understand why beyond chili powder - what do the other spices bring? The addition to paprika and cumin are the most confusing.
Thanks.
Most all recipes (those with meat) start with ground beef/chuck or cubed beef, onions and garlic. Most have tomatoes and versions of tomatoes (like paste, puree, sauce, etc) and some beans - pinto, kidney or both. Green peppers are common and Wendy's chili has celery. Not sure why as celery, IMHO, is pretty bland. And then there are the spices which where I see the most variation.
Obviously chili powder is needed. But why chili powder and paprika? Sometimes smoked paprika? Just for the smoke flavor and nothing more? And often cumin is added. Why cumin? I'm not sure I'm a big fan of cumin but it is in a lot of recipes that I like so maybe it's not the cumin I don't care for but something else. And if I left the cumin out the chili would be lacking. Beer is often added. Not a particular brand of beer just beer. There is some really bad tasting beer. And Worcestershire sauce? Oregano? Ground cayenne pepper vs jalapeño pepper? Both are hot but does the jalapeño (even one that has been seeded) bring something that the ground powder does not?
So there is a ton of questions here that I don't expect answered, no way. But I am hoping someone can help me simplify and understand why beyond chili powder - what do the other spices bring? The addition to paprika and cumin are the most confusing.
Thanks.