Kayleigh here. When the warmth of the summer starts to leave
the air, and the leaves start to turn colors and cover the ground in a crunchy
blanket, I know it is time to pull out the chili recipes. From the lighter
white chicken chili, to the verdes with tomatillos and tender pork, back to the
tried and true red, the warm spice and hearty ingredients go a long way towards
warding off the chill of a fall evening. But no matter how many variations
we've made, and how many unusual combinations have tickled a taste bud or
satisfied an odd craving, we can't help but come back to making a red. As for
the recipe...let's say that Jason and I agree to disagree. So for this post,
you'll see my go-to, and Jason will divulge his own personal favorite in his own post.
My chili recipe hails from when I used to help out at the state chili cook off every year through high school and college. I learned exactly what was considered 'chili'- heaps of different spices, a good and tender Tri tip beef seared on the stovetop before added into the pot, and a strong tomato and garlic presence. No beans for the judges’ batch! As for my own version...I took these principals, and made it a little more budget friendly. It uses some more standard spices, ground chuck instead of the tri tip (although I highly recommend shelling out for some if you are able), and plenty of beans. Because, well, I like beans too much to leave them out.
Ingredients:
For a medium spice level (halve the spices for a milder chili)
1 - 1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck
4-5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
4 cups Chicken (or Vegetable) Stock
2 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2 15 oz cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
2 TB Chili Powder
2 TB Cumin
1 TB Cayenne Pepper
3-5 TB Corn Flour
Optional:
Tabasco or other hot sauce (add at the end if it isn't spicy enough)
Salt to taste (probably not needed if using full sodium beans or broth)
Directions:
1) Put a pan on Medium heat, then start to cook the ground chuck. Once about half of it is brown, add the onions and garlic. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are translucent.
2) In a large pot, add the stock, tomatoes, and beans. Turn a burner onto Medium heat, then once it starts to simmer, bring it down to Low.
3) Add the beef mixture to the pot, as well as all the spices. Throw a lid on, then leave it alone for 45 minutes.
4) Check for taste, and add spices or hot sauce as needed. Add the corn flour one Tablespoon at a time, stirring and pausing in between. Once the chili has thickened to your liking, take it off the heat. Enjoy!
Tips for too- spicy chili- There is not really a way to remove spice from a dish, but there are plenty of foods that will help cool your mouth down. Milk, sour cream, and sugar packets all do the trick quite well, as well as numbing things down a bit with a handful of frozen grapes!
My chili recipe hails from when I used to help out at the state chili cook off every year through high school and college. I learned exactly what was considered 'chili'- heaps of different spices, a good and tender Tri tip beef seared on the stovetop before added into the pot, and a strong tomato and garlic presence. No beans for the judges’ batch! As for my own version...I took these principals, and made it a little more budget friendly. It uses some more standard spices, ground chuck instead of the tri tip (although I highly recommend shelling out for some if you are able), and plenty of beans. Because, well, I like beans too much to leave them out.
Ingredients:
For a medium spice level (halve the spices for a milder chili)
1 - 1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck
4-5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
4 cups Chicken (or Vegetable) Stock
2 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2 15 oz cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
2 TB Chili Powder
2 TB Cumin
1 TB Cayenne Pepper
3-5 TB Corn Flour
Optional:
Tabasco or other hot sauce (add at the end if it isn't spicy enough)
Salt to taste (probably not needed if using full sodium beans or broth)
Directions:
1) Put a pan on Medium heat, then start to cook the ground chuck. Once about half of it is brown, add the onions and garlic. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are translucent.
2) In a large pot, add the stock, tomatoes, and beans. Turn a burner onto Medium heat, then once it starts to simmer, bring it down to Low.
3) Add the beef mixture to the pot, as well as all the spices. Throw a lid on, then leave it alone for 45 minutes.
4) Check for taste, and add spices or hot sauce as needed. Add the corn flour one Tablespoon at a time, stirring and pausing in between. Once the chili has thickened to your liking, take it off the heat. Enjoy!
Tips for too- spicy chili- There is not really a way to remove spice from a dish, but there are plenty of foods that will help cool your mouth down. Milk, sour cream, and sugar packets all do the trick quite well, as well as numbing things down a bit with a handful of frozen grapes!
