Monday Recipe
Easy Chili
May as well have the yearly chili fight now. Remember, the recipes aren’t carved in stone. More like guidelines, so adjust as you will. This recipe has beans, for example. Don’t like ’em don’t add them.
You’ll need:
2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup masa harina, or white corn flour
One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded Cheddar, for serving
Chopped onions, for serving
Tortilla chips, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
You’ll do:
Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.
After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.
A halved habo pepper has been known to fall into the pot when I’m cooking this, to be fished out before service. Also about 1/4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate (trust me).
Serve with ice cold cervesa, a bold red wine, or iced tea. Cheesy corn bread is another option on the side. Enjoy!
Category: Cooking
“Cheesy cornbread…” We gots some “cheesy” rotor heads around here. And Big Navy ordered some cheesy looking C-130s back yonder. Damnedest thing, it had the wings and motors mounted all caddy whompus.
Lady Friend likes her some chili with chopped up grilled all beef ‘dogs…or some good smoked brisket. There’s the leftovers in the frigidator from a big pot I made up Saturday past. Part of the Homecoming feast for older Brother included roasted porked beast loin, chicken and dumplin’s, cornbread dressing, and some peach cobbler.
Winter returned on Friday, been havin’ chili for dinner.
I made chili with brisket not too long ago. Similar recipe, but I added chopped fresh Jalapeños and some chopped red Fresno peppers. Used kidney and black beans. Made it in the crockpot and man, it was good.
Rather than a can of tomato’s. I drain a large jar of salsa (any brand) and use that instead. I do add extra onion, as per above recipe, and chop very fine, some rare to medium Tri-Tip (for you southern folk, Tri-Tip is the bit of brisket that ya’ll usually pull off and call “trash”. Here in California, we’ve made it into a premium and highly sought after cut that we slow grill).
Oh, and beans? No self respecting chili maker uses beans.