Chili

[sainty]

As we all know, chili is the finest of foods. Now, we usually get one of the packet mixes, lob it all in and everything works out fine. However, the 'lads' are coming over tomorrow night so I thought that I would try and make an effort and make it from scratch.

As far as I know these are the ingredients:

Minced Beef, although we have used (brazing) steak before with good results
Onions browned to within an inch of their life
Green peppers
Chili Powder - presumably replaceable by the real thing, but could be a bit of a risk temperature wise
Cumin
Paprika
Garlic
Tin of tomatoes (is there anything more unpleasant?)
Kidney beans

Whack it all in the pot in varying quantities and hope for the best.

Serve with rice, nachos, soured cream, jalepenos (red (my favourite - mmmm sweet chili goodness!) and green) and cheese (cheep mild cheddar) washed down with a bottle of hobgoblin.

Anything I've missed?


rgds

Stu

[engineerone]

couple of questions

how hot do you want it???
and why kill off the onions??

dice the onion, and then gently brown/caramalise it, preferably in oil and butter. and your garlic at this time if you wish.
then brown off the mince in the same pan.
as the mince begins to cook through, add the peppers, why not try red or orange rather than green, prices are same so??
instead of chilly you could add a chilly pepper, remembering to wash your hands before touching any other part of your body ;D

chop finely.

then wack in the tomatoes, i use tesco cheapy chopped, around 21p a can, add some sugar to it, then add the rest of the things and cook on a lowish heat for a while. worcestershire sauce helps too. instead of tomatoes use passata, or ketchup (marco pierro white says it is ok ;D : but always add some sugar. takes the edge off the tomatoes.

then if it is not too hot, you can always add the chilly powder
toward the end of stewing.

good luck, are you sure about the beer, cheap plonk is much better, even tesco claret.

paul

[jfc]

Cherry tomatoes but tell every one to pop them first .... or not if you want to see every one spitting them out once they have bitten into them ;D

[dunbarhamlin]

Steve's Chilli TM is a mite different:

The meat:
1 1b smoked bacon (this will almost certainly give enough salt - if a very salty brand, may need to soak it off first)
1 lb minced lean pork
2 lb minced (or chunked) steak

The sweet:
4 red capsicums
3 tins or equivalent of kidney beans (pref salted - hold their shape better)
1/2 bulb garlic
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
2 tablespoons cumin
tablespoon wild oregano
heaped teaspoon good cocoa (or few square of high solids bitter chocolate)
Juice of 2 limes (put in at the end)
pinch of cinamon (put in at the end)
teaspoon of palm sugar (if the heat needs tempering a little at the end)

The heat:
3 habanero chiles
8 chipotle chiles (smoked jalepenos)
8 jalepeno chiles
4 de arbol chiles
6 cascabel chiles
6 ancho chiles
2 new mexico red chiles

If more heat required, serve with little fleas (piquín chiles) and salsas of finely chopped garlic, onion, tomato and chiles

The cheat:
These bits cool mouths down. ( White sugar or yoghurt works for other burnt bits )
Equal quantities Greek yoghurt and soured cream
Cucumber

The feat:
Deseed the milder (optionally, all) chiles. If dried make into a 'tea' with 1/2 pint of boiling water. You'll want both the bits and the liquid.
Finely chop red capsicums, crush garlic, chop chiles.
Chop bacon.
Put olive oil in big pan, gently reduce capsicums together with garlic and any fresh chiles.
Add meats (if using chunks, brown these before adding anything else,) cumin and paprika, and cook all together, constanly mushing with a wooden spoon so the flavours are evenly distributed and all is cooked evenly.
Add oregano, cocoa, any soaked, chopped dried chillis and the chilli tea and/or boiled water to make a concoction wet enough to simmer for half an hour or so.
When you're nearly hungry, add the beans for the last half hour.
Before serving, add limejuice, cinamon and (if needed) palm sugar..
Serve with a box of hankies, tortillas, plain rice, the yoghurt/cream concoction and cucumber salad (dressing of olive oil, lime juice, black pepper and coriander leaves works well)

Enjoy
Steve

[tusses]

hmmm.... tried and have my own opinions/tastes on everything mentioned so far ...

except the cocoa

must try that with the next batch and see ;D


oh - and my vote for ho goblin or old peculiar / speckled hen/ bishops finger / etc etc

[dunbarhamlin]

Sept 24, 2008 12:06:16 GMT tusses said:

oh - and my vote for ho goblin or old peculiar / speckled hen/ bishops finger / etc etc

Usually drink ales, but pref crap Mexican beer with Mescal chasers before a chilli - nothing during unless I want to fan the flames - and fine sippin tequila afterwards. Find it suits the chile high better ;D

[wizer]

Wow, I used to be a real Chilli aficionado, but sadly poor health stop me from having anything that might upset my stomach! grr

This thread has made me hungry.

[jake]

Sept 24, 2008 11:25:50 GMT dunbarhamlin said:

The heat:
3 habanero chiles
8 chipotle chiles (smoked jalepenos)
8 jalepeno chiles
4 de arbol chiles
6 cascabel chiles
6 ancho chiles
2 new mexico red chiles

That's a pretty good heart of a chilli.

Mine has most of the above chillies depending on the store cupboard, adds two or three pasillas, keeps the garlic, oregano, adds loads of onion and a couple of bay leaves and drops everything else bar the beef. It's beef, onion, and fire water.

[dunbarhamlin]

Sept 28, 2008 21:17:41 GMT jake said:

Mine has most of the above chillies depending on the store cupboard, adds two or three pasillas, keeps the garlic, oregano, adds loads of onion and a couple of bay leaves and drops everything else bar the beef. It's beef, onion, and fire water.

Gives mince and onions for tea a whole new edge ;D
Sometimes vary the mix - cut out some of the smoke and use mulatos.
I do tend to tinker while its brewing - if my face doesn't start prickling when I put my head over the bubbling couldron, it gets pepped up a bit.
Must admit to liking chilli on toast for breakfast - sprinkled with a nice crumbly Lancashire.

Who's your chile pusher? I tend to use cool chile co.

Hey Wizer - haven't you told your quack most ulcer treatments use chile extract? Better than Domestos on the internal plumbing ;D

[jake]

Sept 29, 2008 15:38:24 GMT dunbarhamlin said:

Gives mince and onions for tea a whole new edge ;D
Sometimes vary the mix - cut out some of the smoke and use mulatos.

Heh, yes, it does. It's on the minimalist side of all the controversies - beans/tomatoes/etc.

I do tend to tinker while its brewing - if my face doesn't start prickling when I put my head over the bubbling couldron, it gets pepped up a bit.

Oh always, I never follow a recipe by rote, and I never wrote any of mine down to follow.

Who's your chile pusher? I tend to use cool chile co.

Mostly them or the Spice Shop in Portobello.

[dunbarhamlin]

I only wrote it down because I kept getting pestered by folks on three continents - so for the sake of international relations I finally got around to it.
Fab - hadn't come across the Spice Shop.

[jake]

No criticism implied, just mean I cook kind of loosely by feel/taste.

The Spice Shop is great - try the Wynad black pepper, worth every penny.

[dunbarhamlin]

Oo - none perceived. I usually cook by the seat of my pants.
Best way - need to experiment to learn what components really work together rather than just taking it on trust.

(Like learning to boil an egg - as a sprog did rather disappoint a passing mate when I put an egg directly on the burner to see what would happen. Let's just say I wasn't the one with egg on my face ;D )

Chiles I learn by making single fruit teas - teaches exactly what effect each will have on the brew!

Will try that black pepper.

Cheers

[jake]

Oct 1, 2008 11:01:13 GMT dunbarhamlin said:

Chiles I learn by making single fruit teas - teaches exactly what effect each will have on the brew!

Cunning - will have to try that.