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I've been waiting around a bit for a new chili thread since the previous one was closed, but seeing as it didn't seem to be forthcoming, I decided to make one in order to obtain some tasty advice. The chili that I've grown up eating was basically ground beef + spice kit + canned beans + tomatoes and whatnot. This is apparently not very good chili, so I'd like some advice as to what I should be going for. Ingredients on-hand:
Something important that I've discovered in past cooking endeavors is that the people I'm cooking for don't seem to have much tolerance for heat... 
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Nov 29, 2011 02:56
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Ditch the ground meat, use the stew meat. Get your hands on the dried chiles and make your own chili powder by heating them up and blitzing them in your blender. Brown the meat (do not crowd the pan/pot). Cook the onions, garlic, and bell peppers to your liking. Use the cumin you've got. Add all this into a pot with a combination of beef broth and tomato stuff in whatever amounts you feel like (could be 100% of one or the other) to cover the whole thing. Stir it all up, cover it, and let it cook for a long loving time. Congratulations. You have made chili. Take it from there and make it your own in whatever way you feel like.
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Nov 29, 2011 03:13
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I don't know if this particular recipe was posted in the last thread, but it's something I've been making for quite some time and I absolutely love it. I got it from a poster by the name of Slake over at Elitist Jerks. It's a 3-meat texas-style chili, super hearty and delicious. I make a big pot probably once a month during the winter for warmth and sustenance. (terrible phone photo warning:) Ingredients:
Some notes:
Directions:
I don't have a finished picture, but I'll try and remember to grab some the next time I make a batch. It does reduce and thicken up quite a bit, and to be honest, I think it's best the next day after it's been in the fridge. This is enough to feed a single dude like myself for like a week straight.
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Nov 29, 2011 03:25
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level. You can make your own 
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This is a mighty fine recipe for chili, though it has both beans and chocolate so it might offend some. I also make it with fake since since i'm a dirty vegetarian and like to annoy purists as much as possible. I love chili but my main problem living in the UK is a lack of good actual mexican style chilis. I would love to get my hands on some chipotles, but alas.
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Nov 29, 2011 10:59
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Thank you so much for creating this thread! I have 3 lbs of ground chuck I need to use. I also have around 5 dried Ancho chilli pods. I was thinking of the following recipe: 3lbs ground chuck 5 de-seeded ancho chilli pods, soaked in water and a quarter cup of vinegar then blended. 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1teaspoon of salt Half of a white onion chopped finely 1tablespoon ground cumin This is my first chilli recipe so let me know if I am missing anything or if my proportions are off. Thanks!
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Nov 29, 2011 17:30
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However you make chili never forget that a couple of these bad boys: can make even unspectacular, simple chilis into the food of the gods.
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Nov 29, 2011 18:40
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tronester posted:Thank you so much for creating this thread! That's probably more salt than you'd need for 3lbs. start with 1/4tsp, and then add another 1/4tsp at the end of the cooking and adjust. What cooking liquid are you going to use? Reserving the soaking water to add never hurts. Some general chili advice is that the base is meat, chilis, cumin, and garlic. Add anything you want on top of that to your liking - garam masala, allspice, cocoa powder, oregano, tomatoes, beans, onions, whatever, just make it what you want. Although, adding some alcohol is a great idea, especially if you're going to use tomatoes.
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Nov 29, 2011 18:58
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I just happen to be in the middle of making some chili. I'm making it with turkey, because some people I'm cooking for don't eat red meat, but normally I'd use brisket and short ribs for my chili. chili is all about building flavor, and quality ingredients - since it's a really simple dish you gotta use good stuff to make good chili. NEVER EVER USE GROUND MEAT. ALWAYS GRILL / SMOKE / BROWN YOUR MEAT. My basic procedure MINDPHLUX'S ONE TRUE CHILI WAY goes like this : 1. Make a really really rich stock. 5lbs bones = 1 gal finished stock. I got about 5lbs turkey necks, browned them off under a broiler, and boiled them about 6 hours yesterday, along with aromatics. gonna pick the meat from the bones today and strain off the stock. 2. Season your meat, and light your grill/smoker. Just use a basic rub of your choosing, mine has cumin, some homemade chili powder, garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, black cardamom, fennel, smoked paprika. have about 5lbs of deboned turkey thighs I'm using for my chili, bones went in the stock above. 3. Grill/smoke your meat. I'm smoking my turkey because I don't have access to a charcoal grill in present circumstances. gonna smoke it until crusty, or if you're grilling, grill until deeply browned and crusty. 4. Stew your meat - cook off some onions and garlic. caramelize your onions. then add in your grilled/smoked meat and let it slow cook for ~4-8 hours. your stock should only barely cover the meat, so it's not too thin once it cooks down. if it's too thin, reduce it. done! seasoning is all optional, but keep it minimal. homemade chili powder is of course a must. I like the chipoltes in adobo, gonna add a few of those to mine. if you have a tomato or two lying around, that's probably ok - but none of this ADD A HUGE 64OZ TIN OF TOMATOES. 64 ounces is not ok. 8-12oz is probably ok if you have to add tomatoes. add salt, pepper. I add fish sauce to everything for body, and a splash of msg will find its way in. some people like cocoa, I don't. mindphlux fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Nov 29, 2011 |
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Nov 29, 2011 19:08
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My key rule for chili advice is really just garbage in garbage out. Use good ingredients or your chili will not be good. It really is as simple as that. If your chili powder tastes like sawdust, so will your chili. It's a stew, and all stews are basically the same in that they taste like whatever you put in it, and once it is in, there's no taking it out. Mindphlux goes farther than most when it comes to the meat, but I would bet you any amount of money it shows in the final product. I sometimes use a bigass pork shoulder in my chili and, surprise surprise, it comes out looking like pulled pork barbeque. If your chili is destined for hot dogs, ground meat is probably preferable. It all depends on what you want. The only thing that is really absolutely required is that it tastes like chile peppers. The bottom line is you probably know what chili is supposed to taste like. All that matters after that is finding the ingredients that make it taste like you imagine it to taste. Every recipe for chili that you ever see is just an example, and your chili should be your own. It's not rocket science.
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Nov 29, 2011 19:56
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Don't forget how regional chili is. People who are use to eating a 'mid-west' chili (think about what they serve at Wendy's) are going to turn their noses up at a Texas-style chili with steak and no beans.
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Nov 29, 2011 20:13
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Is the topic of starch pairings with chili as divisive as beans? I prefer rice as the foundation layer to serve chili on, but that's probably because it's what I'm most used to. Is there a regional breakdown of preferred sides to chili like there are regional trends in other foods?
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Nov 29, 2011 20:43
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QBit posted:Is the topic of starch pairings with chili as divisive as beans? I guess it mostly depends on personal preferences, I haven't heard of rice or whatnot being too common in a region, but then again, I haven't traveled the world searching for awesome chili. If it's really spicy though, rice can be very good with chili.
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Nov 29, 2011 20:49
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QBit posted:Is the topic of starch pairings with chili as divisive as beans? You could serve it over rice, macaroni, inside a tortilla, but the only way I eat is by dunking bread+butter into it. You can serve it on top of a hotdog but I'd use coney sauce, not chili.
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Nov 29, 2011 20:50
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QBit posted:Is the topic of starch pairings with chili as divisive as beans? I've always found cornbread to be the best option.
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Nov 29, 2011 20:54
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I grew up with cornbread and tortillas, depending on the sporting event. And boiling birds forever seems like a good way to have bland meat 
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Nov 29, 2011 21:12
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Why is it so wrong to use ground meat in chili? Assuming you use a good braising meat and cook it for hours, wouldn't the meat just shred and not be chili-like when all is said and done?
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Nov 29, 2011 21:28
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I've always come from the school of adding a little dash of masa flour to the almost finished product to make it extra thick and hearty. DISCUSS. Also, beef hearts and chili go hand in hand.
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Nov 29, 2011 21:43
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I love chili as it's, for me, always an impulse cook and I make it work with whatever I have in my freezer. I've never used a recipe and have never been disappointed in one that I've made. The chili I made previous to the one I'll outline bellow was a result of my freezer dying so I fired up the grill and made about three and a half gallons with whatever meat I had, (too many "good" cuts that do not go well in chili), but it was still drat good. Best chili I've made thus far I braised about ten pounds of beef and pork (I forget the specific cuts) using dark beer, some sweet red wine, garlic, shallots and leftover celery (don't put it in the chili). Don't forget to brown first and season. While that was braising I had about a quarter of a bushel of roma tomatoes and chopped as fine as possible, making it a point to not save the liquid, but I didn't go to the effort of deseeding or anything like that. I like tomatoes in my chili, use less if you don't. Also chop whatever chili is available at the farmer's market that isn't a bell or obnoxiously hot. I used Hungarian Hots, large banana/sweet peppers, fresh cayenne, pablanos and jalapenos. Also one to two largish onions. I used about five LBs of various beans, rehydrate them yourself for the best flavor and a less liquid chili. Chili without beans isn't chili, it's a topping. Throw in a head or two (depending on strength) of garlic with some butter to get the great smells starting. Throw in the onions and peppers to color them a little. Then toss the beans and tomatoes in, toss in another beer (Russian Imperial Stout in this instance) and start seasoning lightly. Of course a homemade chili powder is best, [rant]but I did not have any dried chilies on hand and for some reason 200 miles means that chain grocery stores don't sell dried chilies and the mexi-mart was a fourty minute drive.[/rant] I improvised by throwing in six whole ghost peppers (if you do not cut into the flesh, they add flavor without too much heat, good way to safely get a nice smokey pepper flavor as a dried ghost is too drat hot for most), a can of chipoltes in adobe, dried cayenne, some quickly roasted china pearl (I think?) from the garden and chopped roasted red peppers. Once the meat is done braising set aside and allow to cool remove the celery. Skim fat and reduce the braise liquid. Throw the liquid in the pot and once the meat cools cube it small and add. Simmer to blend flavors and finish seasoning to taste and perfection. I'll have to try fish sauce next time, but other than the standard spices, I have to put mustard seed in my chili. I yielded about four gallons, still have some in the freezer and every time I pull a portion out, it just seems to taste better than the last. How does whiskey taste in chili? I think I'm going to add a bit in next batch.
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Nov 29, 2011 21:47
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Yehudis Basya posted:Why is it so wrong to use ground meat in chili? Assuming you use a good braising meat and cook it for hours, wouldn't the meat just shred and not be chili-like when all is said and done? ^^^ I like to add cheddar to thicken if needed, in a bowl though, not the actual chili pot.
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Nov 29, 2011 21:49
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Mr. Wookums posted:How does whiskey taste in chili? I think I'm going to add a bit in next batch. I personally think it's delicious, but I love whiskey so YMMV.
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Nov 29, 2011 23:05
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So, I ended up burning a batch of chili slightly when I got distracted for a few minutes. I ended up putting some peanut butter in it and that helped a bit, but it was never quite the same. 
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Nov 30, 2011 01:23
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Anybody have a good idea for meat substitutes that work well in chili for us vegetarian goons? I want to taste a good chili in my life at some point haha.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:28
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I don't believe that it has been mentioned, but I always add a bit of blackstrap molasses to my chili. Oh, and I also put beans in my chili. 
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Nov 30, 2011 03:47
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Yehudis Basya posted:Why is it so wrong to use ground meat in chili? Assuming you use a good braising meat and cook it for hours, wouldn't the meat just shred and not be chili-like when all is said and done? That is a loaded question and clearly you just think that shredded meat is not chili-like. I refer you to my pork shoulder chili. The problem with ground meat is that it already has the connective tissue all mangled, so if you do cook it a very long time, all you've got left is meat sand. Because of that, you have to cook it less. This is fine if you aren't planning to cook your meat for 6+ hours.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:51
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WombatCyborg posted:Anybody have a good idea for meat substitutes that work well in chili for us vegetarian goons? I want to taste a good chili in my life at some point haha. TVP is fine - don't soak it first, and add it towards the end. If you make your chili a little more soupy than normal, it'll suck up a good deal of that liquid and taste like it. You can reconstitute it in boiling water with some dark soy sauce if you want it to be more meaty, though.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:55
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I also believe oregano belongs in chili.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:57
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WombatCyborg posted:Anybody have a good idea for meat substitutes that work well in chili for us vegetarian goons? I want to taste a good chili in my life at some point haha. the main flavors of chili are meat, and stock thickened by the gelatin from meat bones. so, no. homemade chili powder is a huge part of the flavor too though, so I guess you could caramelize some onions, add homemade chili powder, and then add some vegetable broth and you'd have... I don't know, chili flavored soup?
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Nov 30, 2011 04:33
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Anyone got a good mid-west style recipe for cheap students looking to feed themselves without spending a lot of money
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Nov 30, 2011 11:42
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Switching out short rib/oxtail for ground meat/stew beef will blow your mind.
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Nov 30, 2011 13:46
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Prokhor Zakharov posted:However you make chili never forget that a couple of these bad boys: As much as I love chipotle peppers, I would definitely say avoid the Embasa brand. Way too harsh of a flavor covering up all of what's great about chipotle peppers. I think San Marcos are the superior brand, and I know a lot of people who'd agree (Rick Bayless durr)
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Nov 30, 2011 16:45
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Dried chipotles are better in there anyway.
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Nov 30, 2011 16:49
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I made chile colorado con carne for the first time a while back. Just 1-2 lbs. cubed pork, 12 rehydrated and blended California chiles, garlic, onion, and spices. It was fine, but it didn't have any heat at all. Is that typical?
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Nov 30, 2011 17:09
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But I love adobe sauce Whenever I make chili I like to save some of the adobe sauce from the chipotle chili can and spread it on fresh baked bread like butter. I also agree with one of the above posters about different brands of chipotle, I have noticed some brands are extremely bitter. Can anyone tell me the difference between chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and chipotle salsa? They have the same ingredients in the same order and as far as I can tell the only difference are the price (salsa is like a dollar or more cheaper) and that the chilis are diced up already. Seems like win win, I pay less to have my chilis pre diced. Edit: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use a hotter chili mix. Arbol chilis are great for adding heat to your ground chilis. Also add some fresh habenero
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Nov 30, 2011 17:11
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I really regret living in the UK, in Wales in particular, as it's virtually impossible to get any decent ingredients for a good chili. You have to order online for dried chipotle/powder and any other ingredients that aren't premade red "chili powder" that tastes loving awful. It's also impossible to get whole jalapenos for poppers but that's another story. I love tequila in my chili. Just a splash of two will add quite a nice flavour that people will be hard pressed to identify. Same applies to cocoa (why more people don't use this in their chili is insane - they're natural partners)
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Dec 1, 2011 08:00
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If you live in a proper city then look around markets. A new shop has opened up in Newcastles grainger market at least that sells loads of chili products. Their fresh chili selection isn't that big, only 5-6 or so but they sell loads of everything else needed.
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Dec 1, 2011 09:17
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Beer. Beer, beer, beer, beer. Please for the love of god, add a beer to your chili.
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Dec 1, 2011 09:24
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What beer do people recommend? I used guinness last time because its what I normally use in beef stew and really like it but I'm open to suggestion
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Dec 1, 2011 11:59
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Jose posted:What beer do people recommend? I used guinness last time because its what I normally use in beef stew and really like it but I'm open to suggestion Something with a good amount of bitterness, like an IPA. A little bitterness really rounds out a good chili. When I don't have beer on hand, I actually find that a bit of really strong coffee works well in its place. Also, yes, make your own chili powder! I recently found that my local Mexican grocer sells bulk chili peppers and made my own from a mix of anchos, guajillos, and chipotles. It's loving delicious and surprisingly light on the heat if that's not your thing.
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Dec 1, 2011 16:10
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MikeCrotch posted:
FYI you can get a chipotle paste in Waitrose that does the job... now finding Ancho chillies..
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Dec 1, 2011 16:23
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Jose posted:What beer do people recommend? I used guinness last time because its what I normally use in beef stew and really like it but I'm open to suggestion I get my bitterness from my chilis, so I usually use something dark, sweet, alcoholic, and malty. I used dogfishhead raison d'etre for this turkey chili I made. warsteiner dunkel is a lovely beer, but someone left a 6 pack at my house once so that became my go-to chili making beer for as long as it lasted. worked a charm.
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Dec 1, 2011 18:03
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