Chili Warms the Soul!

Fall temperatures and cooling winds bring about an insatiable craving for CHILI, that famous Texas concoction of meat, chili and spices that has become America's favorite stew.

The principal ingredient of chili is meat, usually beef, although pork, venison and other red meats are sometime used. Chuck is a good choice for chili and the preferred cut is ½" cubes although chili grind is also acceptable. Chile is the predominant seasoning, with the dark reddish brown Ancho chile being most commonly used. Other popular chiles that are sometimes used include New Mexican, Mulato and Pasilla. "Chili powder" is actually a commercial blend that usually consists of ground Ancho and/or New Mexican chiles, cumin, oregano and garlic. Pure ground chiles are also available and are preferred by many aficionados.

Cumin or "comino" is another seasoning used in nearly all chili recipes and gives it that distinctive "chili flavor". Red pepper or cayenne is used to add heat to chili. Add it to suit your taste.

Here are some chili recipes for you to enjoy.

Crockpot Texas Chili
Texas Beef Council

• 2-3 lbs. round or sirloin steak, cut 1/2-inch thick
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2-3 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup dark chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup dark beer
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup masa (or cornmeal)

Three Chiles Chili
Texas Cooking Online

• 2 Dried California (Anaheim) chiles
• 2 Dried New Mexico chiles
• 2 Chipotle chiles, dried or canned
• 12 oz. Beer
• 2 T Vegetable oil
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 2 Large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. Beef chuck, well trimmed, chili grind
• 1 C Beef broth
• 1 t Ground cumin
• 1 t Paprika
• 1 t Dried oregano
• ½ t Sugar
• 1 t Salt

Split the dried chiles in half and remove stems and seeds (if using canned chipotle chiles, do not add them at this time). Put them in a saucepan with the beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure all parts of the chiles are softening.

While chiles are simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions 5 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Remove onions from the pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil, and cook the beef, stirring frequently, until the beef is lightly browned. Put the beef and onions in a large pot or Dutch oven with the beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.

Put the chiles and cooking liquid in a blender or food processor. If using canned chipotle chiles, remove the stems and add chipotles to the blender. Puree until a thick red sauce forms. Push the sauce through a sieve to remove the bits of skin, then add sauce to the simmering meat. Stir in seasonings and sugar. Continue to simmer for at least 1 hour, until meat is tender, adding beer, beef broth, or water if needed. Add salt, adjust seasonings to taste.

Notes: This is a serious chili recipe for people who are serious about their chili.

Texas Red Chili
Chili Recipes from Marlboro Country

• 1/4 lb. suet, bacon drippings, or vegetable oil
• 6 lbs. lean beef, coarsely cubed
• 1 cup chili powder (about 4 1/2 oz)
• 2 Tbsp crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 - 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 qts. beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup masa harina or cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cold water

Desperado Chili
adapted by Judy from a Marlboro Country Chili recipe
This sounds strange but it is excellent!

• 1/3 cup lard or vegetable oil
• 4 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cans (4 oz.) whole green chiles cut into strips
• 8 canned or fresh Serrano or Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 (10 oz) cans tomatillos or 3 cups of cut-up fresh tomatillos (about 10)
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth*
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander or 1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 5 tsp. crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat lard in skillet. Add meat about 1 lb at a time, removing after each lb. is browned. After all beef is browned, put onions and garlic in pan and cook until soft. Place beef and onions in large pot. Add peppers, tomatillos, tomato paste, beef stock, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer about 2-1/2 hrs. Makes about 2-1/2 qts.
*If using fresh tomatillos, increase beef stock or broth to 3 cups.

Super-Good Chili
from Tabasco

6 servings ·

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (12 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can or bottle (12 ounces) beer
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco brand hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoons salt
• Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, optional

Heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepot over medium heat. Add beef and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove to bowl, using a slotted spoon. Add onion and garlic to drippings in skillet; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Return meat to Dutch oven; stir in cumin; cook 1 minute. Stir in pinto beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, beer, green chilies, pepper sauce and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, if desired.

Judy's Redeye Chili
Here is a great chili recipe that I concocted. It gets its name from the "secret ingredient", coffee, which is a key ingredient in Redeye Gravy.

• 2 Tbs. oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 lbs. ground chuck or round
• 1/4 lb. ground breakfast sausage
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 can beer
• 1/2 cup strong black coffee
• 1 can beef bullion
• 3-4 Tbs. chili powder*
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seed, toasted
• 1 Tbs. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. red pepper or to taste
• 1 tsp. coriander
• salt to taste
• 1 can pinto beans, 1 can black beans

*I use home-grown powdered chiles, Ancho, NM, etc.

In a small skillet brown sausage. Drain and reserve. Pour oil into a large stockpot and sauté onion, ground beef and garlic. Cook until meat is lightly browned. Drain grease. Add rest of ingredients except jalapenos. Cook for 1-1/2 hr. and then add beans and salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes more. Thicken with masa harina mixed with a little water if necessary.

Serve with chopped onions, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped Jalapeno peppers, and Cowpoke Cornbread. (Recipe follows)

• 1 cup cornmeal mix
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (nonfat is OK)
• 1 (8 oz.) can creamed yellow corn
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2-3 chopped jalapenos (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped onions

Combine dry ingredients, including peppers and cheese; add wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour into hot iron skillet or 8" square pan. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CHILI
The eminent food columnist and cookbook author from the Mississippi Delta region promulgated this as his version of classic Texas-style chili. He advised always using cubed meat rather than ground beef so the wonderful chili flavor is absorbed into the meat, and to let the chili age overnight before eating it. Chili is always better the next day!

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add 3 pounds boneless chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes, and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until meat changes color but does not brown. Lower heat and stir in three to four cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed.

Combine 4 to 6 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 3 tablespoons flour. Sprinkle meat with chili mixture, stirring until meat is evenly coated. Crumble 1 tablespoon leaf oregano over meat.

Add 1 1/2 cans beef broth (14-ounce size) and stir until liquid is well-blended. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, over low heat 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add remaining half-can broth; cook 30 minutes longer or until meat is almost falling apart. Cool thoroughly. Cover; refrigerate overnight to ripen flavor. Reheat chili in top part of double boiler placed over boiling water (or in the microwave, stirring frequently). Claiborne instructed that if you absolutely had to have beans in your chili, you could heat a 15-ounce can of pinto beans and stir them into the chili before serving; his preferred method was to serve with sour cream and lime wedges to squeeze over each portion.

WHITE CHILI
8-10 servings

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken, cubed (I like the breast, but dark meat works just as well)
• 3 cans (16 ounces each) Navy beans
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes. or until the vegetables are softened slightly.

Add the chilies, cumin and cayenne and cook for about 10 more minutes. Add 4 cups of the chicken stock, the beans and the chicken and cook over low heat for about 1 hour, adding stock if necessary. If using canned beans and pre-cooked chicken, add the beans and chicken after about 40 minutes and cook 20 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated cheese, if desired.

Note: To pre-cook chicken, boil it in water until cooked. Allow it cool and remove from bone. You can either coarsely shred or chop it. This may be done a day ahead.

WHITE AND GREEN CHILI

Night before: Put 1 pound of dried great northern white beans, rinsed and picked over, in water to soak overnight. Add water to cover the beans plus a couple of inches more.

• 2 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chiles
• 4 tsp. Ground cumin
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• ½ tsp. Ground cloves
• ½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth, or more if necessary
• white wine
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Place chicken breast (or chicken tenders, which are cheaper) in a heavy saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer just until tender, about 15 minutes (maybe less for the smaller chicken pieces). When cool, cut chicken into chunks or tear apart with a fork; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot, add onions and saute over medium-high heat until translucent. Stir in garlic, chopped mild green chiles, ground cumin, oregano, ground cloves, and cayenne pepper and saute two minutes. Then add drained beans, 8 to 10 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add a splash of white wine and simmer, covered, until beans are very tender (about two hours). Stir occasionally. Add chicken and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded; stir until cheese melts.

Serve with additional cheese, sour cream, salsa, chopped cilantro, chopped black olives or anything that suits your fancy and contrasts in color as garnish.

Makes eight to 10 servings.

SEAFOOD QUARTET CHILI*
by Dave Hendricks

• 3 Medium Yellow onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Large Green Bell Peppers (roasted, peeled, seeded and
• chopped)
• 2 Large Red Bell Peppers (roasted, peeled ,seeded and chopped)
• 4 Sun-dried Tomatoes
• 1 Can Rotel tomates with green chilies, 10 oz (drain liquids and
• reserve, chop tomatoes)
• 1 Can Furmano whole tomatoes 14.5 oz (drain liquids and reserve,
• chop tomatoes)
• 2 TSP Dried Oregano
• 2 TBL Dried Cilantro
• 2 TBL Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 TBL Herdez Salsa Verde (canned green salsa)
• 2 Cups Cooked Beans (kidney, pinto, whatever)
• 1/2 Lb Scrod fillet
• 1/2 Lb Shark steak
• 1/2 Lb Scallops
• 1/2 Lb Squid, cut into rings

To make the base:

Soften the sun-dried tomatoes buy simmering them in about one cup of water them, remove them from the water and chop (reserve water). Chop the onions and saute them in the olive oil until slightly translucent. Add the minced garlic and then the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped peppers. After a few minutes add the two cans of tomatoes and all reserved liquids. Add the oregano, cilantro, chili powder and green salsa. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

At this point you can refrigerate the base (or freeze it) to make the chili later.

To make the chili:

Reheat the chili base and add the cooked beans. Simmer for about 15 minutes to heat the beans. Add the seafood and simmer another 10-15 minutes.

Serve garnished with tortilla chips, chopped green onions and grated Monterey Jack cheese.

Notes: I used some dried Ancho chiles, which I ground to substitute for some of the chili powder. I also made a triple batch, substituted some red onions for the yellow and added 1.5 pounds of chopped mushrooms. You can pretty much substitute other fish and shellfish in this recipe. Put in what you like but try for a mix of textures.
*For those of you really interested in what a seafood quartet consists of, it contains the following: two fiddler crabs, one red drum and a sea bass. (insert cymbal crash here)

SUPER-GOOD CHILI (from Tabasco)
6 servings

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (12 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can or bottle (12 ounces) beer
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco brand hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoons salt
• Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, optional

Heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepot over medium heat. Add beef and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove to bowl, using a slotted spoon.

Add onion and garlic to drippings in skillet; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Return meat to Dutch oven; stir in cumin; cook 1 minute. Stir in pinto beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, beer, green chilies, pepper sauce and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, if desired.

CAROL'S SHOTGUN WILLIE CHILI
(World Chili Cook-off Winner)

• 3 lbs. trimmed sirloin beef, cubed or coarsely ground
• 2 med. onions, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
• 9 Tbsp. Wesson oil
• 1 (15 oz) can Hunts's tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup Gebhardt Chili powder
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. New Mexico chile powder
• 1 Tbsp. Pasilla chile powder
• 1 Tbsp. each ground cumin, salt and vinegar
• 1 tsp. each ground oregano and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. each cayenne pepper and hot pepper sauce

In large bowl, combine beef, onions and garlic. In Dutch oven or stockpot, brown 1/3 beef mixture in 3 Tbsp. hot oil; remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining beef and oil. Leave last batch in pot and add first 2 batches with remaining ingredients. Stir until well blended. Simmer, covered, 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 cups.

GREEN GARLIC CHILI
adapeted from a recipe by Wesley L. Minor

This chili has enough of a punch that you don't want to serve anything elaborate on the side. We like it best in a bowl with a few boiled potatoes or white rice, or with lengths of sturdy French bread for mopping sauce and using as a bed for the whole cloves of garlic retrieved from the bowl.

• 6 dried California chiles
• One 28-ounce can tomatillos, drained
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 large garlic bulbs, separated into cloves (40 to 50 cloves)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large tomato, skinned and diced
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil

1) Place the chiles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes, until soft; then seed and stem them. In a food processor or blender, process or puree the chiles and tomatillos. Set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Peel the garlic cloves and sauté them until they are soft and just barely begin to brown. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the beef, salt, and pepper, stirring to brown the beef on all sides. Pour off the excess fat. Add the chile puree and the tomato. Stir in the basil and simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring often.

HAVANA MOON CHILI

Picadillo is served all over south Florida. It is a humble ground meat dish that sparkles with the tang of green olives, vinegar, and capers. Our Havana Moon recipe marries the basic elements of picadillo to the spirit and spices of chili making. The result is an easy-to make one-dish meal with chili's satisfaction and a high-spirited Cuban twist.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground chuck
• One 14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
• One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved
• 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 2 cups cooked white rice

1) Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the pork and beef, and cook until browned. Drain off the excess fat.

2) Add the beef broth and tomatoes, squashing each tomato by hand before adding it. Stir in the vinegar, raisins, spices, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cook 30 minutes, partially covered. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes more. Add the olives and almonds and cook an additional 5 minutes.

3) To serve, place a mound of beans and a mound of rice in each bowl. Ladle the chili on top.

Last 2 recipes from Chili Nation : The Ultimate Chili Cookbook With Recipes from Every State in the Nation, by Jane Stern, Michael Stern.