Calling all cooks! Do you have a signature chili recipe that you like to use?

[Da Speeit]

lol people that measure their seasonings with chili. Just throw the shit in there.

personally, i just add all of the seasoning to the beef/pork and reduce a shit ton of beef in it before i add the tomato.

 

[Guestx]

do you just eat chilli on its own or is it like a side dish?

I always eat it on its own. It's really a pretty complete meal, when you think about it. Meat and vegetables all in one package.

 

[BANNED AID]

I'm a pretty good cook, but I've never heard of coffee in chili. Maybe I'll have to try that.

 

[Doughbelly]

I don't have a signature recipe because chili is not high cuisine for me. It's something in which I throw in the random scraps of meat I have left over in the fridge and freezer.

Half a package of chicken breast, a third of a kielbasa, half a pack of chorizo, that lone pork chop that ended up back in the freezer, whatevers.

Brown all that shit on a pan along with a pack of ground beef with whatever leftover fresh veggies on hand (bell peppers, chili peppers, onions, garlic, celery, scallion ends, etc). Then throw it all in either a good pot or a slow cooker with leftover beans and chili spices, call it a day.

 

[Da Speeit]

I don't have a signature recipe because chili is not high cuisine for me. It's something in which I throw in the random scraps of meat I have left over in the fridge and freezer.

Half a package of chicken breast, a third of a kielbasa, half a pack of chorizo, that lone pork chop that ended up back in the freezer, whatevers.

Brown all that shit on a pan along with a pack of ground beef with whatever leftover fresh veggies on hand (bell peppers, chili peppers, onions, garlic, celery, scallion ends, etc). Then throw it all in either a good pot or a slow cooker with leftover beans and chili spices, call it a day.

Pretty much the only answer. Would only say add beer

 

[MarloStanfield]

I always eat it on its own. It's really a pretty complete meal, when you think about it. Meat and vegetables all in one package.

thanks, ive only tried a tin of stag chilli and i had that on toast with mashed patato

 

[Guestx]

thanks, ive only tried a tin of stag chilli and i had that on toast with mashed patato

Really? That's crazy. There are a few decent canned chilis, but there aren't many at all. And Stag is not one of them, in my opinion.

You really should find a good recipe so you can have the proper chili experience. It's like a top 10 food for me when it's made well.

 

[Doughbelly]

Pretty much the only answer. Would only say add beer

I made jambalaya last night and found myself staring at a Lock&Lock container of half a 28oz can of tomato puree that I had opened for chili a week and a half ago. I don't particularly like the taste of cooked tomatoes, least of all in my jambalaya but I was like fuck it, if I don't use this now, it's going down the drain, so in it went.

Oh noes, it's not authentic Cajun jambalaya!

Seriously tho, gotta lol at "authentic" chili or whatnot. Chili, jambalaya, paella, most stews, hotpots, one-pot meals etc from around the world whether it's bean curd chigae or jollof rice are just a way to reuse your leftovers, so GTFO with that "authentic" nonsense. The authentic peasants who were making this weren't concerned with that shit, how about that for authentic.

Gonna have to try that beer next time, tho.

 

[These Two Hands]

Bell peppers, celery, onion, ground beef, lots of cayenne peppers, some habaneros, and maybe some green chilli paste plus a lot of tomatoes. Simple comfort food version that's inexpensive and basic, I use that as a base and then add various things depending on the mood, season, what's in the kitchen right now &c.

 

[MarloStanfield]

Really? That's crazy. There are a few decent canned chilis, but there aren't many at all. And Stag is not one of them, in my opinion.

You really should find a good recipe so you can have the proper chili experience. It's like a top 10 food for me when it's made well.

yeah im inspired to cook up a batch, its just not something you see around my neck of the woods

 

[gigantalor]

I sometimes use a recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

I don't have it available, but it's basically meat, tomato sauce, chili powder, beans, etc. You put them all in a crockpot (don't even brown the meat) and let them cook for a few hours.

It's very good.

This ain't it, but it's pretty good too, I'm sure...

 

[HwoarangStyle]

 

[Doughbelly]

I sometimes use a recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

I don't have it available, but it's basically meat, tomato sauce, chili powder, beans, etc. You put them all in a crockpot (don't even brown the meat) and let them cook for a few hours.

It's very good.

No. The ONE thing you need to do is to brown the meat. Everything else, except for maybe the chili powder itself is negotiable. Browning the meat is not.

 

[eworden78]

I've competed a few times, and won some trophies.
It's generally best to keep it simple, especially for competition.

We like to use tri-tip with a 50/50 mix ofcoarse ground(chili grind) and 1/2" cubes, it's lean, has good flavor and texture. If you use fattier cuts of meat you end up with lots of grease and you'll either need to add additional emulsifiers, or end up with an oil slick on top.

Another trick is to juice some jalapenos. You can add the juice add the end to give it a fresh heat kick, and also adjust the liquid content.

I also like to make my own chili powder from scratch. I created a spreadsheet where I can mix and match different types of dried peppers while keeping a reasonable balance of flavor and heat.

I can share the spreadsheet if you are interested.

 

[gigantalor]

No. The ONE thing you need to do is to brown the meat. Everything else, except for maybe the chili powder itself is negotiable. Browning the meat is not.

Usually, that's true. And yeah, I know about the Maillard reaction.

But they DO NOT brown the meat for the recipe that I'm talking about. All I have is a photo from a book, but I can post it if necessary.

Seemed a little odd to me, too. But it comes out very good. Upon double checking, they do sautee the onions, tomatoes and spices first, but not the meat. Again, it's ground beef.

Say what you will, but it's America's Test Kitchen. They know what they're doing.

Edit: Also, most Cincinnati Chili recipes (which this isn't) that I've seen don't brown the meat either.

 

[ShackleMeNot]

I typically make enough to eat for 4-5 days, so I usually get about 3 lbs ground beef, several large onions, 6-8 cans of kidney beans (light and dark), diced tomatoes and a gallon of tomato sauce. Add chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, cracked black pepper, paprika, and cumin until it tastes like the chili my father used to make

 

[ShackleMeNot]

All chili recipes need to be simmered on the stove for at least a couple of hours, no matter what the guy wrote on the website. Simple, elaborate, it all needs to stew for quite a while.

Agreed. For me is an all day event, and then goes into the fridge overnight. Always better the next day when all the flavors soak into each other and the water and grease congeal a bit

 

[bandicoot]

I've been wanting to make some Texas style chili with nice cuts of beef and such. Anyone here know what cuts I should be using and whatnot? I'm talking about that good thick red stuff you see in Texas a lot.

 

[bandicoot]

Agreed. For me is an all day event, and then goes into the fridge overnight. Always better the next day when all the flavors soak into each other and the water and grease congeal a bit

So much this. I will actually make chili and other things like red beans and rice and have no intention of eating it until the next day because of how much better it is, lol.

 

[ShackleMeNot]

I've been wanting to make some Texas style chili with nice cuts of beef and such. Anyone here know what cuts I should be using and whatnot? I'm talking about that good thick red stuff you see in Texas a lot.

Occasionally I'll grind up some sirloin with some super fatty rib meat, but there's a butcher shop by my house that always has 75% lean beef for 2 bucks a pound, so I just get that now.