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Let's Talk Chili

Losing_Sanity

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My son thinks he makes the best chili. And he does a real good job. I've never been to good at cooking chili, but I do eat it quite a bit. My son has laid down the challenge to see who could make a better pot, and I'm up against it this time. I need help.

I'm interested to see if any of the hunt talkers (Chili Creators) can help out with a real good recipe. I would like a good pressure cooker recipe with dry beans, but others are of interest as well. I'm not looking for the ignite your colon stuff like Randy (@Big Fin ) got into during a past hunt, but a good chili. My last batch had crunchy beans and too much tomato paste.

I have read some of the other posts on the subject and a couple look promising. I may give them a try as well.

Thanks for any advice and help to make a better pot of chili. And thanks for sharing your recipes and secrets. Maybe others can benefit from this as well.
 
We made chili a lot over the years. We have had white chicken, braised beef, and more traditional pots. We went to WY and stopped in Chugwater. We opted to by some of those spice mix. Everyone loves it and it’s all we make now. The only thing we do differently is add 2 tablespoons more spice and only use our canned tomato juice in place of the water it calls for.

Just had it last night for dinner. Can’t go wrong with it and some fresh corn bread.
 
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Quick and easy....
2lbs ground meat, browned. I season with salt, pepper and some chili powder while browning, then add.....
~32 oz tomato sauce
2 cans each - Kidney beans, black beans - Drained and rinsed.
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1 small can green chilies
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbs smoked paprika
2 Tbs Chili powder
Pinch red pepper flakes.
 
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I don't have a specific recipe to share, but a tip I have always followed is to drain any canned beans you use. Sometimes I rinse them. Some people get rid of the grease from browning the meat but I have found it is better to leave that in. Maybe if you were using 80-20 cheap beef, but anything else, leave for flavor.
 
Here’s my venison chili recipe. It’s an amalgamation of various recipes I’ve found online over the years and experimentation. There is no “best” chili recipe, since everyone’s tastes and preferences are unique. I would rate this as medium heat, and it seems to appeal to the masses as I’ve always gotten positive feedback on it even from non game eaters. This recipe will make about 5 qts.
  • 2-3 lbs ground venison (mine is 95% lean)
  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 28 oz. diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
  • 2, 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans, drained (can sub chili beans for more heat)
  • 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 medium red onions (chopped)
  • 2 poblano peppers (chopped) - I sometimes smoke the peppers first, and have also subbed mixed color bell peppers or Anaheim peppers
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (finely chopped)
  • 1 serrano pepper (finely chopped)
  • 4 Garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
Premix all the dry spices in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a cast iron 5+ qt dutch oven until it’s good and hot, then add the ground venison. Allow it to crust up some before stirring. Stir a couple of times, allowing to crust some between stirs. Reduce heat To medium low and add peppers and onions and stir with a wooden spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get any charred burger loosened. Add garlic and dry spices and stir. Cover and cook until veggies are soft (about 20 minutes) stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 3 hrs.

You can garnish with some chopped red or green onions and/or some sour cream if you need to cut the heat. I usually throw some shredded cheddar Cheese on top as well, and eat it with tortilla chips or Fritos scoops vs. a spoon.

I usually make a big batch and freeze it in 1qt ziplocks. Tastes even better after it’s been cooled and reheated. Just made a batch this past weekend...

D55B87C6-FDED-40BD-80D4-E9D61F498CD9.jpeg
 
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ancho chile powder should be included IMHO

also, smoke the meat, whether ground or cubed, before browning it

never skimp on fat, whether in the form of butter or animal fat

roadside hatch green chiles left to sweat in a trash bag are huge plus

rubber gloves...
 
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My son thinks he makes the best chili. And he does a real good job. I've never been to good at cooking chili, but I do eat it quite a bit. My son has laid down the challenge to see who could make a better pot, and I'm up against it this time. I need help.

I'm interested to see if any of the hunt talkers (Chili Creators) can help out with a real good recipe. I would like a good pressure cooker recipe with dry beans, but others are of interest as well. I'm not looking for the ignite your colon stuff like Randy (@Big Fin ) got into during a past hunt, but a good chili. My last batch had crunchy beans and too much tomato paste.

I have read some of the other posts on the subject and a couple look promising. I may give them a try as well.

Thanks for any advice and help to make a better pot of chili. And thanks for sharing your recipes and secrets. Maybe others can benefit from this as well.
There are many good basic chili recipes out there to start from, here are a few ideas on prep technique to differentiate your offering. First cook meat (my preference is a mix of cubed and ground 50/50) and beans SEPARATELY, second USE REAL CHILIES in your meat mix along with cumin and cilantro and garlic/onion to taste (you can add chili powder if you must, but real chilies have better flavor). When cooking beans try dry land pinto beans cooked slow and put some onion and garlic along with some beef stock (assuming you are making beef based chili), spice with cumin, cilantro to taste and take it easy with chili powder. Serve with ample add ons like sour cream, extra chilies (use 505 canned chilies if you can't find the fresh ones), diced sweet onion, and camp bread made in a dutch oven. I brown my meat in bacon fat in a large dutch oven after cooking the bacon that i dice and add to beans. I tend to avoid tomato base in my meat, some people add diced tomatoes but I think it dilutes the flavor of the chilies. Allowing people to mix beans, meat and condiments to their taste you will have more people like their personal mix that might have been crtical on the choices you made for them. Keep the beans firm and cook slowly, nothing worse than mushy, glutinous beans and too much tomato paste.
 
I would consider myself a chili enthusiast. My usual go to is:
2 pounds of ground deer/elk/antelope, neck roast (my favorite when shredded), or stew meat, browned. Also works well with waterfowl or grouse.
Bacon (optional)
Onion
Garlic
Two cans of chili beans
One can of kidney beans
One can of chickpeas
One can of tomato sauce
Chili powder
Cumin
Top off with beef stock.
Cook for a long time in slow cooker or Dutch oven.
 
When working with dried beans, they have to be fully cooked before adding acid (tomato) or they will remain crunchy, no matter how long you bring the heat.

Alton Brown/Food Network
Absolutely important with dry beans, I cook mine slowly in a crock pot with stock and do not add chilies until the beans reach the consistency I like, adding an acid at that point seems to keep that level of tenderness while maintaining firmness.
 
When it comes to chili I am an old school, originalist....and that means NO BEANS.....at all ever. Beans are filler and add zero to the pot except starch. Here generally is what I do (and have won several competitions with). You can use this as frame work and adjust for your desired level of heat and individual taste.

I do this in a pot on the stove

2 lbs Cubed meat (best you care to use)browned in a bit of oil
add
fresh chiles ( I use poblanos, jalapenos and serranos) to your heat
some jarred chipotle peppers
onion, diced
at LEAST 4 crushed cloves of garlic
chili powder
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
(you can also use cumin but it gives me terrible heart burn so I don't)
stir thoroughly and sweat the fresh veggies
add
a large can of crushed tomatoes (all liquid)
a large can of diced tomatoes (all liquid)
a bottle of a hearty beer with real body to it

bring to a low simmer, cover and cook until the meat is tender to your specs. It will cook down to a thick, stew like consistency. I like to garnish with fresh onion, shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream.
 
A tip I learned through Meateater is for browning your burger to form it into one big pattie first, dry it, season it, then brown both sides in a hot skillet. Adds a bit more charring and flavor than my old way of just breaking up the burger in a skillet and stirring it around. A couple extra steps but I've noticed a difference.
 
When it comes to chili I am an old school, originalist....and that means NO BEANS.....at all ever. Beans are filler and add zero to the pot except starch. Here generally is what I do (and have won several competitions with). You can use this as frame work and adjust for your desired level of heat and individual taste.

I do this in a pot on the stove

2 lbs Cubed meat (best you care to use)browned in a bit of oil
add
fresh chiles ( I use poblanos, jalapenos and serranos) to your heat
some jarred chipotle peppers
onion, diced
at LEAST 4 crushed cloves of garlic
chili powder
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
(you can also use cumin but it gives me terrible heart burn so I don't)
stir thoroughly and sweat the fresh veggies
add
a large can of crushed tomatoes (all liquid)
a large can of diced tomatoes (all liquid)
a bottle of a hearty beer with real body to it

bring to a low simmer, cover and cook until the meat is tender to your specs. It will cook down to a thick, stew like consistency. I like to garnish with fresh onion, shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream.
excellent recipe, like the beer add, kind of a low or no tomato guy as it makes the chili too much like spaghetti sauce for my taste. I always keep beans on the side and let people add if they want. Fresh Chilies is key in my view, or at least roasted chilies that have been frozen during the harvest.
 
We made chili a lot over the years. We have had white chicken, braised beef, and more traditional pots. We went to WY and stopped in Chugwater. We opted to by some of those spice mix. Everyone loves it and it’s all we make now. The only thing we do differently is add 2 tablespoons more spice and only use our canned tomato juice in place of the water it calls for.

Just had it last night for dinner. Can’t go wrong with it and some fresh corn bread.

You don't think the tomato juice and water swap will make the tomato taste too overpowering?
 
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