CAB's Chili

This recipe adds beans as the last step. The reason is to prevent overcooking and splitting of the beans. If you prefer Chili con Carne or if you're entering a Texas chili cookoff, skip the beans (unless you want to be hung by your toes in front of an angry Texan mob). Also, I don't really brown the ground meat because I find that it makes the beef tough and dry. I use the same method as my bolognese sauce because the result is a very tender and flavorful meat.

This chili recipe has 2 spice dumps (typical chili recipes can have 2 or 3, some even up to 5!). The first dump is to penetrate the meat. The second is to flavor the gravy. No matter how many dumps you use, don't put the cumin in until the last dump to prevent it from getting bitter (from overcooking). Also, don't overstir the pot while simmering or you'll break down the meat too much. Just an occasional stir will suffice.

Step 1:
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
7 medium white mushrooms, chopped fine
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chicken or beef broth (I prefer beef)

In 4-Quart pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Brown the onions and mushrooms, stirring frequently, until brown bits form on the bottom of pan (~6-20 minutes). Add 2 tablespoon of the broth to deglaze, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pot. Add ground beef and cook until it loses it raw color (no more pink). Stir to break up the meat.

Step 2 (Dump 1):
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce (Hunt’s preferred)
3 cups chicken or beef broth (I prefer beef)
3 oz of canned or jarred jalapeno pepper rings with 1 Tbsp of juice
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chili powder

Add all ingredients to the pot. Cover pot and cook for 1 hour on just high enough heat to give you about 8-9 bubbles on the surface (this is about a medium heat on my stove). Give it and occasional stir.

Step 3 (Dump 2):
1 tsp Cayenne powder
2 tsp cumin
¼ tsp Hungarian paprika
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Add ingredients to the pot. Leave covered, bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Keep an eye out on the amount of gravy. If it looks like it's starting to dry up, add 1 cup more broth. If serving as Chili con Carne, skip Step 4 and serve.

Step 4:
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp of honey

Add ingredients to the pot. Leave covered and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve.

I usually like to have my chili with a side of corn bread with honey butter. I admit that I don't make corn bread from scratch but I make my own honey butter by whipping a stick of butter with lots of honey (to taste, of course). I like Betty Crocker's Corn Bread and Muffin mix. It's delicious and costs less than a dollar per pack. Can't beat that!

One last note, I am going to play around with different types of chili powder (there's a whole lot of them out there) and see how the taste changes. I'm going to look for a combo that provides good depth and richness, as well as good heat when you take the first bite and then a great aftertaste (or afterburn if you prefer).

Let me know if you have a TNT (tried-and-true) chili recipe to share.