Chili Gone Carne

 

As winter approaches everyone’s thoughts turn to a hot bowl of chili to warm those frosty nights.  Chili is so easy to make it’s a shame to buy the high sodium canned chili that bears little resemblance to the real thing.  There are chili cookoff contests in which the namesake food is a very big deal for serious chili eaters.  Most of those people don’t like to share their recipes, but here at The Old Cooker, sharing is what’s it’s all about.

Like most things I cook, I experiment a little each time, so it never turns out exactly the same way twice.  This time the secret ingredient is a dark and smoky chipotle flavor (I would like to name the brand but my request to them for permission was ignored).

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs coarse ground beef or turkey
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ large white onion, chopped into pieces about ¼” square
• 15 oz can beans, my choice are light red kidney beans for a traditional taste
• 10 ox can Hatch® brand diced Tomatoes & Jalapenos
• 12 oz can of tomato paste (the tomato paste gives it body, use the full larger can)
• ¼ cup dry chili powder (I buy my chili powder in the bulk foods section of my supermarket)
• 1 tablespoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1 12oz bottle of hearty beer – my choice for chili is Warsteiner Premium Dunkel German beer

PREPARATION:

 

Brown meat in a frying pan, sprinkling with the black pepper.  Drain.  Put in your slow cooker.  Add diced onions and other ingredients except beer and mix well.  The mixture will be very thick.  That’s where the beer comes in, that will be the last thing you add, to thin the mixture.  Use the entire bottle (I know, darn it).  Set your slow cooker on high and cook without stirring for about 90 minutes.  Stir and reduce heat to low and cook for another 3 – 4 hours.  Serve.  The above quantities will feed 4 -6 people.

 

Chili can be made a million different ways.  Each subtle change of ingredients can make a profound difference in the “character” of the finished product.  I find that chipotle flavoring makes a chili that is rich with complex flavors that, like a fine wine, deserves to be savored and enjoyed.

 

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

 

"The aroma of good chili should generate rapture akin to a lover's kiss"

 

- Motto of the Chili Appreciation Society International

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