Let's Talk Chili

[Addicting]

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

Not at all, if you get it from the supermarket can the metallic taste may be too strong. Buy it in the plastic bottle in the juice aisle . All my garden tomato juice is reduced down by a third and canned in glass jars. I can 30 to 40 quart jars each year for this purpose alone, turns out great.

Sometimes we want it a little more robust we put tomato paste and bloom it with the burger before the juice goes in.

 

[Bigjay73]

Not sure what the best recipe is, but I do know it won't have any damn beans in it

 

[JFish]

I found this recipe online and tweaked it a little bit. Like someone else mentioned beer really gives it a great taste. I’ve found it doesn’t matter too much what kind.

1.5 lbs ground meat
1 Diced Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1-2 Jalepenos
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
4 Tbsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp of Cayenne
2- 15.5 oz cans of kidney beans including water
1- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1- 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp Sugar
1 Cup of Beer

Hot sauce to taste

Brown meat, sauté veggies, combine everything and bring to a boil. Let simmer 30 minutes.

 

[Arcola]

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.

This is real close to my go-to recipe. The beer is a must. I also add a cup of Franks red hot.

 

[noharleyyet]

Wife made venison chili last week during the brief winter warning event that blew thru. Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm mix is bomb proof for a quick turnaround.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Wife made venison chili last week during the brief winter warning event that blew thru. Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm mix is bomb proof for a quick turnaround.

That might even be a good idea for camp chili in cool evenings....

 

[Four22]

If you really want to make it good, make your normal favorite chili recipe, then sink a chuck roast or deer shoulder in it and simmer on low all night.

pull the solid meat, shread and add back. The ground meat with the shredded meat makes an amazing combination.

 

[dcopas78]

I've started doing half tomato juice from our garden and half V8 juice for the liquid component. Something we tried and liked.
Otherwise I use ground meat, chili powder, onion, garlic, kidney beans, chili beans, canned tomatoes from garden (diced), some sugar that seems to tamp down acidity of the tomato if needed. My boys don't like a real tomato-y flavor so that helps. They and my wife don't like peppers, so I usually add those to my bowl. I really like adding some canned "hot" hatch green chili I get sent from New Mexico. Got two jars of it coming this week . Chopped ancho are also a favorite of mine.

 

[Gunner46]

My Dad's was the Best. Rich with flavor, not so much hot, but had some spice to it. Burger, kidney beans, red & green peppers, mushrooms, semi-thick tomato sauce, chili pepper. and 'X'...That and some cornbread was a hearty meal indeed.

I'm taking that one to my grave. Sorry.

SO.......I will tell you one NOT to make. My Mom's.

Ground Turkey, white navy beans, water & chili powder. That's it.

I'd drive to Wendy's rather than slurp down that crap !

 

[hank4elk]

I'm old Old school & have many CHILE recipes. From dad's Chile Colorado we had with beans & rice on the side when I was a kid, to mom's Ohio style with tomato ,corn & burger to the latest NM cookbook version.
Made some with ground elk,Nambe chile ,Hatch green roasted chile,pintos and tomato last week for some hunters.They were from NM and liked the Nambe hot chile but could not figure out the cumin taste.
My basic go to is pretty close to Hank Shaw's. I usually have mine with pinto beans.
I also have about 10 types of Real NM CHILE powder & 3 types of dried hanging in bunches.
Making some Chimayo Chile this weekend. It will have elk & pintos in it. Yummy!

 

[David58]

All I can add is to use real chiles. I lean to green chiles, chop up the hot Hatch ones. Plenty of red from the tomato sauce, red chile powder (yep, more heat), and cumin. Beans - usually black - go in depending on how I feel that day (yeah, might be filler, but are tasty). Sopping up done with tortillas, corn bread, or southern biscuits (order White Lily flour on the internet, ain't got it or Martha White cornmeal out here).

Now that the elk is in the freezer, gotta eat up a big batch of beef chile so I can have an excuse (as though one is needed) to make a big, slow, batch of chile with elk.