[tomthebrewer]

As the weather gets colder, it's perfect time for chili! I make a batch every year on the day after Thanksgiving along with a batch of beer. I'm looking for some new ideas, so post them up!

[majorvices]

Here's one you can't go wrong with: Start with a roast (pork or beef, you choice) and make a paste of minced garlic with chili powder  (I make my own from assorted dried chillis - way better than the grocery store stuff) and rub the roast. Then smoke it in your smoker over a heavy hickory fire for about an hour. Remove roast, let cool to the touch, and then cut into cubes. Start some bacon frying in a dutch oven, remove when browned and add onions, garlic and chilis and saute till limp. Then add meat and reserved juices and bacon back in. Lightly coat with chili powder.. Add beef stock (or a combo of beef stock and beer) until just enough juice to cover meat. Stir in additional chili powder as needed, lots of cumin (I prefer to toast whole cumin lightly on a cast iron skillet - brings out more aroma), mole paste (store bought is pretty good), touch off oregano and a few tbls of vinegar.

Reduce heat to very low and simmer for about 3-4 hours adding more stock as needed to keep from drying out - but it should not be soupy - almost stew like consistency - there should be a thick, red roux  surrounding the meat (as in all chili, it really should be about the roux).

[tomthebrewer]

Sounds good! Lots of work to that one, though. Are you someone who believes chili should be w/o beans and/or tomatoes?

[beerocd]

All in! It may not be "official" chilli but it tastes good. We've also gone to the crock pot method. Saute the onions, brown the meat, dump it all in a crockpot with tomatoes, beans and spices come back 6-8 hours later. Cheese, sourcream, and a dash of hotsauce.

-OCD

[bluesman]

I am a chili fanatic. 

I often surf to this site...check out the champions recipes.

http://www.chilicookoff.com/Recipe/Recipe_Categories_Search.asp?Cat=1&StatusID=4&Champ=1

[majorvices]

Sounds good! Lots of work to that one, though. Are you someone who believes chili should be w/o beans and/or tomatoes?

Hell no. I only make that one above once a year. When I make regular chili I use lots of beans.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

This is a recipe I've been tweaking/perfecting for two years now.  It's awesome, IMHO.

Matt's Mayan Red Fire Turkey Chili

Makes 5 cups, enough for 4 to 6
3 large dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 large dried New Mexico chile, stemmed and seeded
1 large dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (or your preferred chili meat)
1 medium onion, 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dark beer (preferably homebrewed)
2 5.5 oz cans spicy V8
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
1 tsp unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained
2 tablespoons masa harina
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Garnishes: 
Shredded Monterey jack cheese, tortilla strips, and cilantro

1. The chile seasoning. Heat a medium-size skillet over medium. When hot, toast chiles one by one: open flat and press down with spatula until the chile releases its aroma and toasts lightly, 10 to 15 seconds. Flip and toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 20 minutes. Drain.

In a food processor or blender, combine the chiles and a little water, garlic, and cumin. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping down and stirring frequently. (If the mixture won’t move through the blender blades, stir in a tablespoon or two of water to get things going.) With a rubber spatula, work the chile mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.

2. Browning the meat and onion. Heat the oil in a medium-size (4-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ground turkey (or your preferred chili meat) and onion. Stir, breaking up clumps, until browned thoroughly, about 10 minutes. (If there is lots of rendered fat, tip it off and discard.)  Add the beer; simmer until almost completely evaporated.

3. Finishing the chili. Add the chile puree and stir for about 5 minutes as the mixture thickens and concentrates all those rich flavors. Stir in spicy V8 juice, chicken stock, cinnamon, and cocoa and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, masa harina and salt. Partially cover and simmer gently over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced to coat the meat rather thickly, about 30 minutes.

Serve with shredded jack cheese, tortilla strips and cilantro for each person to add to the chili as they want.

[tomthebrewer]

That-looks-delicious!

How hot is it? My wife can stand hot food, so I'm up a creek because I love it. I don't think I have access to those chili's unless the grocery store has recently began carrying them. I do have lots of jalapenos from the garden this last year though.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

That-looks-delicious!

How hot is it? My wife can stand hot food, so I'm up a creek because I love it. I don't think I have access to those chili's unless the grocery store has recently began carrying them. I do have lots of jalapenos from the garden this last year though.

I would say it's got moderate heat.  It's not a mild heat but it won't knock your socks off.  If you can find dried Ancho chiles, you can just do an all-Ancho chili base.  The key to this chili are the chiles...go figure! 

[dwarven_stout]

Here's my favorite recipe. I usually make this 2-3 times each fall, with minor variations.

Summer’s End Chili
    * 2lbs dry beans (I usually use red, kidney or pinto)
    * 4lbs beef (any tough stewing cut will work- chuck, blade or rump roasts are good)
    * 4 strips fatty bacon
    * 1tbsp cumin
    * 2tbsp whole wheat flour
    * 1tbsp butter
    * 2 large onions, chopped
    * 1 smoked pork shank
    * 32oz crushed tomatoes in juice (or 2 pounds fresh chopped stew tomatoes such as Romas)
    * 24oz beer (any beer with a decent malt backbone will work- here I used Spaten Octoberfest)
    * 8oz beef broth
    * 4 each dried Ancho/Pasilla and New Mexico chilies
    * 6 cloves garlic
    * 1tbsp cider vinegar
    * 1tbsp olive oil
    * 1tbsp oregano
    * salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain soak water. If you’re making chili today, not tomorrow, bring beans to a brisk boil, remove from heat and cover. They’ll be ready in 2 or 3 hours. Beans expand to roughly double their size during soaking. Break the stems and cores out of the dried chilies, reserving the seeds if you like the spice. Put the chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water.

Cut the beef into 1/4inch strips across the grain of the meat, then cut crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Pan-fry the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders. Remove the bacon, breaking it into bite-size pieces. Add the beef to the pan in batches, seasoning with the cumin. Sprinkle with flour and fry each batch until browned before adding to an 8qt stock pot.

Add the butter to the pan and saute the onions over medium heat until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add to pot. I didn’t have chipotle adobo peppers on hand, so I used a smoked pork shank to add a smoky background to the heat of the chili. If I’d had one to spare, I would have used a rauchbier instead of the Octoberfest.

If using canned tomatoes, pour off the juice into the pot and chop the tomato flesh coarsely. Add the tomatoes and beans to the pot, and pour the beer and broth over the top. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender  and just starting to fall apart (about 2-3 hours).

Meanwhile, drain the water the chilies soaked in and chop them coarsely. Chop the garlic, and add along with chilies to a food processor. Add vinegar and olive oil. Process until finely blended, adding chili seeds if reserved. Add puree to the pot while it simmers. You don’t have to do this all at once- if you’re concerned about heat, then add the puree slowly, tasting between additions. Add the oregano. Just before serving the chili, taste it and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Serve with grated chedder cheese, chopped avocado, minced cilantro, green onion and sour cream. This chili is even better the second day, so we made enough for three dinners. Serves 8-10 if you have to eat it all at once.

[woody]

This might not be as fancy as the other recipes, but its easy and damn good! 

brown up 1.5 lbs of ground cow in the frying pan with a bit of minced garlic (onions if you wish, my wife isn't a fan so I omit those)

put 32 oz Tomato Sauce, 16 oz can of pinto beans, 16 oz can of red kidney beans into the crock pot  (You slow cooker haters can go to hell!  ha ha ha) 

stir the cow into the slow cooker.   add 1 tbspn of cumin, 3 tbspons of chili powder.   Slice up 1 jalapeno pepper and toss that in.   Cook on low for 7-8 hours then chow!   

I also have the secret ingredient to be added at serving time-   My old man makes some fresh habanero pepper thats crazy hot.  little sprinkle of that in your bowl and you're good to go!   




P.S.    A glass of cali common goes good with it

[majorvices]

I also have the secret ingredient to be added at serving time-   My old man makes some fresh habanero pepper thats crazy hot.  little sprinkle of that in your bowl and you're good to go!   




P.S.    A glass of cali common goes good with it

Hmmmmm .... I see a huge problem here in this picture. That looks like french or italian bread. Should be corn bread.   

[woody]

It was suppose to be!   Mama said if I made chili she would make corn bread.  Well I got screwed in that deal!    She just won't get any of the treberbot I'm making tonight

[tesla_hv]

My mother is Mexican and this is a family recipe for green chili as served around the Hatch/Rincon/Las Cruces area:

NM Green Chili:
Ingredients:
8-12 Fresh NM Green Chilies (Substitues: Anaheim-mild, Jalapenos-hot, habaneros-very, hot or a mix of several types)
1 8-oz can of finely chopped tomatoes
3 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
1 medium to large pork roast cut into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Roast chilies over open flame or a broiler on high until all sides have turned dark brown/black and the skin is lifting off. A good stove vent would be good now. Either that or ship the people in you house with asthma or other breathing problems to a friend's or relative's house. Do not use a low heat or the chili will cook too much before the skin releases. De-stem the chilies and peel the skin off. Warning: If you do this by hand do NOT touch any sensitive part of you body for hours! Especially the eyes or other not-to-be-mentioned parts. Using a cutting board or blender, chop the chilies up into a coarse mixture. Do not puree or chop the chilies too much. KEEP THE SEEDS! They provide both hotness and flavor. Brown the pork in a large skillet (especially a large cast iron one) in the oil with the onions and garlic. After the onions begin to turn clear and soft, add the tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to cook down and fall apart. Add the chopped green chili mixture. See above warning about proper ventilation. Simmer on medium for 20-30 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve with a side of fresh pinto beans and toasted flour tortillas. Cheese over the top is optional (I like longhorn cheddar). Enjoy but I would caution on not going on an extended horseback ride or other activity that would separate you from a restroom.

[majorvices]

^^^^I'm gonna make that ASAP! Awesome!