Chili

[KidDirty]

Ohhh this is a hella wide discussion.

And I know you guys must have some input.

So many choices.

Bean or no bean

Veggie or carne

Tomato or not

What meat (or meats)(or none: although blasphemous)

Green or red (I haven't made a green chille but am interested in how to do this)

Bakers Chocolate?

Mole? (If you don't know ya need to)

Masa Harina? (when would you add it?)


Apparently one of the most important factors with chili is the time that you add certain ingredients at key times.


Here is what I have been doing:

2lb pork loin grillid over charcoal until mid-rare

1lb hot pork sausage

1lb fatty ground beef

add ass loads of chile powder

Paprika (by the way, does anyone know where to find Hungarian Paprika?)

Of course CUMIN

28oz can of crushed tommytoes

Small dash of "Daves Insanity Sauce" for heat.

Later I add beans ( prefer black beans) Corn (grilled on the cob), and squash

Towards the end I add mole or bakers choclate, and masa harina to soak up the grease.

Over-all the whole thing ussually spends about 10 hours in the crock pot.






There is no time of season for chilli, just make it now!

[Bob the Unbeliever]

Sounds pretty good, except for the fat/grease content - I always use lean meat (when I bother with meat at all) and NO fat of any sort, if I can help it.

I do not digest fat well - ALWAYS gives me heartburn. (Is why I don't eat french-fries much anymore.)

Oh, and I wouldn't bother with the corn, either - don't care for kernel-corn with chilli (too sweet. Don't like sweet chilli.) - tortillas (cooked or plain) and/or cornbread is good, though, as a complementary side-dish.

And, insufficient bean variety: minimum is 2 types (preferably 3 to 5), usually kidney and either black or brown. Or both. Plus navy, some lentils. And rice. (rice cooks completely away anyhap, but it adds LOADS of flavor, if you use brown, or better, wild)

And you didn't say anything about onion. It ain't chilli without onion.

And GARLIC. Got's to have garlic - keeps the vampires* at bay, too.

Cilantro is nice, too.

I tend NOT to make 5-alarm or even 1-alarm chilli, as this limits who may consume it, once it's done.

EASY to up the alarm factor, once cooked, on a per-serving basis. No real difference at the end, whether you add at start or add at end - hot is hot.

Same with salt - I always add salt sparingly, and near the end of the cooking cycle. Easy enough to salt the individual servings. Impossible to UNsalt.

Fresh ground pepper at the start, and again near the end.




____________________

*whatyamean, keeps vampires away?

Seen any vampires 'round here lately? .... see! It works!

[Shooting Star]

I use five different beans, and also add a touch of Worchestire sauce, Frank's Hot Sauce and weirdly, about one teaspoon of cinnamon to the pot. The cinnamon gives it a unique twang, people like it and realze there is something different about the chili, but they can't pick out that it is the cinnamon.

[KidDirty]

Lots of good points there Bob!

I may try a wider variety of beans next time. I did some research before my fist pot, and it seems that many of the Chili "purists" are vehemently anti-bean, many are also quite anti-tomato. I still haven't been able bring myself to make a pot sans bean. Might as well give up and load up on em.

I definitely like the lentil idea. Those will likely cook down real nice and add a thickness to it.

I just can't agree with you on the rice issue though.

I hadn't considered the factor of corn adding sweetness. The same is likely so for the corn masa I add near the end.

It's weird because I also usually don't like my food to be sweet. But its different with chili for me. I forgot to mention it before but lately I have added a whole bunch of grated carrots in the beginning. They cook away completely and add a nice natural sweetness.

With me just about anything I cook is gonna be loaded with garlic and onions, chili is no exception. Its such the norm that I guess thats why I forgot to mention them.

I Love cilantro, but I can't see cooking it in to the chili. It might be nice as a topping though. For some reason I just tend to associate cilantro with cold dishes. I almost feel like cooking it would bring out that small bitter flavor that hides behind the nice sharp flavors when its fresh. I don't thnk I have ever cooked it though, so what do I know?

Yeah I like to blow it up on the heat, but have learned lately that I need to dish out the heat on per-serving basis so that others can enjoy it as well.


Shooting Star, I can see where cinnamon would add a nice flavor to the mix. I thought my roomate was crazy when he told me to add bakers choclate to it, but its great. I think mole has unique flavors somewhat similar to cinnamon, that add a nice touch to chili.

I might use some cinnamon in my next pot

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

DO try a sans-(sin?)bean, sans-tomato batch some time... it's not what I was raised to believe was 'chili', but its GOOD. As for non-traditional chili... I think I had plans for a white-sauce chicken chili at one point (don't tell Dee Dee), but I've also done adobo with red wine vinegar and chipotle before, and cabbage rolls with kimchi, so I'm not above seriously messing with traditional recipes.

I've got a HUGE hunk of venison in the freezer, which will need to be tackled at once unless I buy a chainsaw sometime soon, so I'm likely going to do a venison chili soon (didn't have any left last time I was going to make venison chili... we ate all the smoked and cooked bit I did). Last time around on the chili, I smoked the peppers for the sauce (a mix of various hot and not-too-hot varieties). I'll have to hit a farmers market because there should be some local peppers showing up soon.

I shouldn't criticize another's taste in food, but you DO know that carrot + tomato = Chef Boyardee sauce right?

KD, does anyone actually cook cilantro in chili (it's good on top)? The only thing I cook much into is my Green Death curries, and I suspect you're right about bringing out some unwanted undertones. It's a herb best served fresh. I might have to try some corriander in my next chili (I'm a corriander fan of late - I have a 50/50 mix of corriander seed and black pepper in one of my pepper mills), though I'll probably add it after the fact. With haberneros in the freezer, it's unlikely to be a mild batch next time I cook, but heat is the norm in my cooking.

The chocolate looks interesting... I used some coffee in the batch last time, and a bit of beer I think.

[KidDirty]

Dee Dee comes through with the green chili recipe!


Also found the as promised to Doc recipe as well. That essentially sounds like a greeen chili too (No Tommy-Toes)

I also saw the texan prohibition against beans!

Maybe you should paste that recipe here too, I could have C&P'ed it but didn't know if that would be dispastable.

It all sounds great though!

BTW Mole is awesome! Although if you are not adding tomato, I can see where it might not fit.

[Bob the Unbeliever]

I did some research before my fist pot, and it seems that many of the Chili "purists" are vehemently anti-bean, many are also quite anti-tomato.

Yup. Chilli is sort of like religion - everybody's got an opinion.

As for me, to tell the truth, the only chilli I couldn't actually eat was one that had grease so thick, there was a 1/4" floating on top ...

me: "What's this liquid on the top of the bowl?"

cook: "that's melted grease! Adds flavor!"

me: "eeeewwww!"

I've had corn-chilli, and I've had sour-cream chilli. I've had 1 bean to too-many-different-to-count (which begs the question: is it chilli anymore? I suppose, if there's chilli powder in it! <heh>)

I've had with tomatoes and without. I prefer with, but without can be good, if there are other things in there ...

I've had it with cheese on top, and cheese cooked inside AND on top. Adds a creamy flavor.

I've had hot and mild. Too much hot, and that's all you taste, IMHO.

The rice is similar to the lentils - it will cook completely away, if you use a crock pot. BUT, rice and beans makes a complete complex protein*, and your body will recognize the taste as "good". Even if there are no visible rice grains ...

I must admit, I've had beanless chilli too. But, to me it has then become a "meat paste" and the meat overwhelms anything else. May as well eat a meat patty ... <heh>

Or, better still a nice rare NY strip steak ... yummm!

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

Here's the direct link to Dee Dee's chili recipe (that recipe cost me a bit of my soul, included in a larger bargain) instead of a direct copy/paste.

http://www.venganza.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2961

The Chili Verde looks vaguely like a chicken dish a Vietnamese buddy gave me a bit of one time, although in that one, chicken, green chilies, scallions, and (I think) cilantro were cooked together with the chicken on top of rice. IIRC they were actually placed on the uncooked rice and allowed to cook, although all the good stuff ended up at the top... hmm.. will have to check if he can send me a recipe. His 'recipes' usually consist of a list of ingredients without measurements, and sketchy instructions if one is lucky.

[KidDirty]

Dr O., I wasn't aware of the carrot and tomato chef boyardee conspiracy!

Carrot in chilli is still a hell of a lot better than chef boyardee though.


You've had that venison in your freezer for a couple of months now, better get to it.

I have also considered a white sauce chili, but have no clue about how to do this.

I need a little help with "Adobo" and "Green Death Curries".

I forgot to mention I also usually go with a bottle of some dark beer, Dos Equis Amber is good.

Never considered coffee! I bet that might be nice too.

[KidDirty]

His 'recipes' usually consist of a list of ingredients without measurements, and sketchy instructions if one is lucky.

Thats awesome!, Because Ironically thats exactly how I cook.

[KidDirty]

Dee, I can only see one cup of liquid in that WHite Chili. How does that work out?

Dutch oven huh. Now I know you're from Texas!

[KidDirty]

Bean Juice I get it!

Here's the direct link to Dee Dee's chili recipe (that recipe cost me a bit of my soul, included in a larger bargain) instead of a direct copy/paste.

Does every new soul that Dee Dee takes for this recipe somehow make it better? Kinda like a highlander Chili.

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

Thats awesome!, Because Ironically thats exactly how I cook.

It's how I cook too, but if you don't know what the dish is supposed to be like to start with it becomes more interesting. The last recipe I got from him I'd made before (a miso-hoisin rib sauce recipe from when we used to work together, and it's worth a chunk of someone's soul if you want it ).

Dee Dee, I know where I can get WHITE chilies to put in the white chili. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one to think of this.

Adobo is a Filipino dish... pretty much the national dish IIRC, and is chicken or pork simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, mucho garlic, black pepper and bay leaf (many variations). One time I did a version using red wine, red wine vinegar, chipotle peppers, and probably other stuff. It was good, but NOT even really adobo.

"Green Death curry" is the one dish I make that's too hot for me; it's my rough hack of a fresh Thai-style green curry paste... start with about 20 - 30 green Thai chillies, crush them in a mortar and pestle or chop very fine with garlic, lemon grass, green onion, some cilantro, some lime juice / zest (kaffir lime leaves are better if available), and corriander seeds (underripe if possible). Saute all that good stuff with your meat of choice and lots of veggies, add a little Thai green curry paste if you have it or some Indian hot lime pickle or both, hit it with a can of coconut milk, black pepper, some Nuoc Mam to salt it, and simmer it down until it thickens. Serve with rice.

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

That's the way they get "interpreted" as well.
When forced to produce a recipe for one of my dishes, I usually go with so many parts of this and a pinch of such-and-such....

Oh, and KD, this is a new, much larger chunk of venison. That last one was eaten soon after I got it.

[KidDirty]

You guys are good!

Dr. O, I just learned about hoisin recently. I love it. I bet those ribs are great.

Offer up that recipe if you want, but I heard about a man I can meet at this crossroads just outa town, said e'll learn me to play the guitar real nice, if'n I give my everlasting soul, so's I think im'a save up fo that un!


"Green Death curry" sounds awesome! We have a little red curry paste in the cabinet, but I never thought that it really tasted like curry to me.

New one: "Indian hot lime pickle" Please expain.

Nuoc Mam: Fish sauce no? Gooood Shit! My old roomate wouldn't let me bring it in the house though. We are terrible pranksters, and due to its stinkiness it was obvious that it could be used as a WMD, and both parties agreed on a convention to just not bring it in.