Lil4X
Elio Addict
It's a little late in the season, but here's my award-winning Chili 2.0:
Mom was from Kansas. Although a wonderful cook, she knew nothing about Texas Chili; and her recipe reflected this gap in her education. Hers was best described as hamburger stew, with a few grains of chili powder, served with saltines. It was good, but calling it chili offends any Texan who samples it. It contained kidney beans, no peppers whatsoever, and only a little chili powder.
So it was out of necessity that I developed a traditional Texas Chili recipe (no beans, all cubed beef, sauce, and spices) several years ago, but it was so labor-intensive as to be impractical. Who wants to spend all day stirring the chili pot? I went back to Mom's original for a quick and easy dish . . .
The following is my update on her recipe for a simple, quick chili that is un-traditional in its ingredients, but gets raves wherever it is served. One of my California friends actually won a Texas chili cook-off with it in LA! For purists, the beans stretch the recipe and temper the peppers, and the corn replaces the use of Masa flour (hard to find outside of the Southwest) to “tighten” and add a unique flavor to the mix.
Chili 2.0:
Serves two ranch hands, or four ordinary people.
The basic recipe is simple and may easily be adjusted to taste or the contents of your pantry. Except for the ground beef and onion, all ingredients can be kept on hand until needed. It doubles, even quadruples easily when feeding a crowd.
Refrigerate overnight or freeze leftovers for an even better taste. Like most chili, stew and gumbo recipes, this actually benefits from preparation in large quantities. A thicker mix (produced either reducing or withholding some of the tomato sauce) makes an outstanding dip for corn chips!
Ingredients:
1-1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion
olive or canola oil (for us health nuts)
1 15-oz. can of tomato sauce
1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes (drained, if you're making dip or to reduce simmer time)
1 15-oz. can of Ranch Style Beans (with jalapenos) with juice - that will thicken the mix
1 11-oz. can of whole kernel corn, drained.
Chili powder - about 2 tbsp.
Cumin - about 1-1/2 tsp.
Garlic or garlic powder
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Heat of the product is controlled by the use of cayenne. If you use Ranch Style Beans with jalapeños, you may want to omit the cayenne altogether. If you use regular pinto beans or red kidney beans, you will probably want to add more chili powder and a little cayenne. It's important to taste as you go, because some seasonings can get pretty weak if stored too long. I've been known to incinerate my family when I open a NEW bottle of cayenne without recalibrating my eyeball estimates. The recipe described here produces a moderately spicy dish, but you may want to adjust with more beans and corn to “thin” the mix if you over-spice it. If your dish is really fiery (strength of peppers varies seasonally, and fresh spices can be hair-raising), allow it to cool and spoon into microwave-safe containers, then refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
In a 4-quart stew pot sauté large slices of onion in a tablespoon of oil. When onion is almost clear, add 1-1/4 lb of lean ground beef. Then add 1 Tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of cumin, stir and brown over medium heat. When the pink disappears, pour off excess water and oil.
OK, hard part’s done.
While the onions, spices and hamburger cook, open the canned tomatoes, sauce, beans and corn. When it's ready, stir the canned ingredients into pot, taste, and add more spices (the original spices have been absorbed into the meat - this second shot will spice up the tomatoes, beans, sauce, and corn.
1 Tbsp of chili powder (yes, one more Tbsp)
½ tsp of cumin
2/3 tsp of salt, now, taste again.
½ tsp of cayenne pepper (more or less, as desired)
Stir and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or more to blend flavors while you do the minimal clean up and take a shower ready for company. (up to an hour or so is still fine, this stuff takes care of itself).
Serve in large bowls, garnished with grated Jack or Colby cheese, chopped onion, and a few corn chips. This recipe is practically un-screw-uppable. You adjust to taste as you go, so fix it the way your family likes it.
Accompaniments - pick your favorites:
Cornbread
Corn or Flour tortillas
Cheese Nachos (chips topped with refried beans optional, plus onion, a slice of jalapeño, and a tsp. of grated Colby cheese – melted for a few minutes in the oven)
Beer (Dos Equis, or Superior – none of that fruity “light” stuff
By the way, make extra - you'll want it. Enjoy!
Mom was from Kansas. Although a wonderful cook, she knew nothing about Texas Chili; and her recipe reflected this gap in her education. Hers was best described as hamburger stew, with a few grains of chili powder, served with saltines. It was good, but calling it chili offends any Texan who samples it. It contained kidney beans, no peppers whatsoever, and only a little chili powder.
So it was out of necessity that I developed a traditional Texas Chili recipe (no beans, all cubed beef, sauce, and spices) several years ago, but it was so labor-intensive as to be impractical. Who wants to spend all day stirring the chili pot? I went back to Mom's original for a quick and easy dish . . .
The following is my update on her recipe for a simple, quick chili that is un-traditional in its ingredients, but gets raves wherever it is served. One of my California friends actually won a Texas chili cook-off with it in LA! For purists, the beans stretch the recipe and temper the peppers, and the corn replaces the use of Masa flour (hard to find outside of the Southwest) to “tighten” and add a unique flavor to the mix.
Chili 2.0:
Serves two ranch hands, or four ordinary people.
The basic recipe is simple and may easily be adjusted to taste or the contents of your pantry. Except for the ground beef and onion, all ingredients can be kept on hand until needed. It doubles, even quadruples easily when feeding a crowd.
Refrigerate overnight or freeze leftovers for an even better taste. Like most chili, stew and gumbo recipes, this actually benefits from preparation in large quantities. A thicker mix (produced either reducing or withholding some of the tomato sauce) makes an outstanding dip for corn chips!
Ingredients:
1-1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion
olive or canola oil (for us health nuts)
1 15-oz. can of tomato sauce
1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes (drained, if you're making dip or to reduce simmer time)
1 15-oz. can of Ranch Style Beans (with jalapenos) with juice - that will thicken the mix
1 11-oz. can of whole kernel corn, drained.
Chili powder - about 2 tbsp.
Cumin - about 1-1/2 tsp.
Garlic or garlic powder
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Heat of the product is controlled by the use of cayenne. If you use Ranch Style Beans with jalapeños, you may want to omit the cayenne altogether. If you use regular pinto beans or red kidney beans, you will probably want to add more chili powder and a little cayenne. It's important to taste as you go, because some seasonings can get pretty weak if stored too long. I've been known to incinerate my family when I open a NEW bottle of cayenne without recalibrating my eyeball estimates. The recipe described here produces a moderately spicy dish, but you may want to adjust with more beans and corn to “thin” the mix if you over-spice it. If your dish is really fiery (strength of peppers varies seasonally, and fresh spices can be hair-raising), allow it to cool and spoon into microwave-safe containers, then refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
In a 4-quart stew pot sauté large slices of onion in a tablespoon of oil. When onion is almost clear, add 1-1/4 lb of lean ground beef. Then add 1 Tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of cumin, stir and brown over medium heat. When the pink disappears, pour off excess water and oil.
OK, hard part’s done.
While the onions, spices and hamburger cook, open the canned tomatoes, sauce, beans and corn. When it's ready, stir the canned ingredients into pot, taste, and add more spices (the original spices have been absorbed into the meat - this second shot will spice up the tomatoes, beans, sauce, and corn.
1 Tbsp of chili powder (yes, one more Tbsp)
½ tsp of cumin
2/3 tsp of salt, now, taste again.
½ tsp of cayenne pepper (more or less, as desired)
Stir and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or more to blend flavors while you do the minimal clean up and take a shower ready for company. (up to an hour or so is still fine, this stuff takes care of itself).
Serve in large bowls, garnished with grated Jack or Colby cheese, chopped onion, and a few corn chips. This recipe is practically un-screw-uppable. You adjust to taste as you go, so fix it the way your family likes it.
Accompaniments - pick your favorites:
Cornbread
Corn or Flour tortillas
Cheese Nachos (chips topped with refried beans optional, plus onion, a slice of jalapeño, and a tsp. of grated Colby cheese – melted for a few minutes in the oven)
Beer (Dos Equis, or Superior – none of that fruity “light” stuff
By the way, make extra - you'll want it. Enjoy!
