The Pizza Thread, and Its Tangent

[Subdeacon Joe]

Got me thinking.

 

How do you make chili?

 

Any more I start by taking about 6 each ancho, guajillo, morita, and 1 or 2 chipotles, taking off the stems and breaking them open to get out the seeds. Put 'em in a bowl and pour a few cups of boiling water onto them. Set aside.

 

While those are soaking dice up fine (maybe about 3/8 inch) some beef. Cheap is good. Something nice and tough - chuck, knuckle, anything like that. Maybe 3 or 4 pounds of it. Try to trim out the silver skin, tendons, and other such things. Generously salt the meat, mixing in the salt. Then start browning the meat in a large pot.

 

While the meat is starting to brown, take your stick blender to the peppers (or pour some of the liquid and all of the peppers into a blender jar - if you are doing it this way, DO NOT go over about half full), blend until smooth, then pass through a sieve into a bowl. Press the solids with a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.

 

By now the meat should be browned on all sides. I usually finely chop a large onion and toss it in with the meat and grate in 5 or 10 cloves of garlic - microplane works best. Once the onions cook down, I add the chili liquid. Add enough water to cover all the meat. Let it simmer for a few hours.
I may add a quarter cup or so of Taco Seasoning Mix if I want more complex flavors, but, like the onions and garlic, its optional. If you have the basics of meat, dried peppers, water, and salt, you can make a darned good pot of chili.

 

ADDED:

I'll set out finely chopped onion, green onion, sliced radishes, grated cheese, and Mexican sour cream for garnish. Some heated corn tortillas on the side.

OH...and some beer.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

DANG JOE !

 

 

Yur makin' me powerful hungry !

[Subdeacon Joe]

[Wolfpack Jack]

What, no beans?

 

I know, I know, couldn't resist

 

Okay, I guess I stepped in that one