A decent chili recipe
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Sunday, December 9, 2007
(Updated 1/21/2020 with notes and typo fixes.)
Yes, I know that with all the Food Fair 2007 stuff that by posting a decent recipe I might not be taken seriously. Well, it's a risk I'll have to take. Winter has finally arrived in our neck o' the woods, and chili helps take off the edge.
We take our chili seriously here in Texas. Each year a chili cookoff is hosted in the ghost town of Terlingua. Real Texas chili does not have beans, rice, or pasta. (There is one exception in the recipe I'll give below.) Yeah, no campfire scenes for us!
Chili is not hard to make, but the longer you simmer, the better it tastes. Sometimes day-old, reheated chili is better than the fresh stuff. (Refrigerate, of course!)
There are as many chili recipes as there are cooks, but I'll give you my basic method.
If you've never done this before, you may want to start with a Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili Kit. It contains the necessary basic spices. If you can't get hold of a kit or want to wing it, then you'll need the following spices:
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Paprika
- Ground Cayenne Pepper
- Dried Oregano Leaves
- Masa Harina (If you can't get masa, use cornstarch or flour. This is a thickening agent. The masa provides a nice taste, but don't go buying a large bag for one batch of chili. That's silly.)
- Onion Powder (I prefer to use a medium onion.)
- Salt and Pepper
- One jalepeno (optional, but it won't add heat.)
The catch is that you use these spices to taste, which is why I suggest you start with a kit and take it from there.
Meat: A pound (if you use more, you need to adjust spices accordingly) will do for four servings. You can use ground beef, beef ground especially for chili, turkey or chicken, venison, whatever you prefer. If you're cooking meatless chili then you may want to add an equivalent amount of beans for texture and protein. Otherwise, don't add beans.
One 14.5 oz can of tomatoes. (If you want to use whole or diced this is your call.)
One can of water, possibly more.
One 6 oz. can of tomato paste.
If you buy the kit, use the following directions. I've found it makes a better chili.
In a pot, pour in the tomatoes and water. Add the tomato paste. Now add the spices. If you use a fresh onion, omit the onion powder. You may want to add salt and pepper to the meat and then add it to the chili mixture later. When you add the spices, make the taste is stronger and a bit hotter than you can stand. When you add the masa (or thickening agent) later, that will cut down on the heat and strength. You can always add more spices later, so if you just want to get the mix to taste you can adjust later on.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then take to a simmer as you do the following:
Chop up your onion.
Heat a tablespoon or two of olive or corn oil in a frying pan and add your meat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add your onions and fry it all up until done. (I sometimes hold half the onion for about five minutes then add it. It's all going to simmer to the same consistency anyway, so I'm not sure if it helps the flavor or not.)
(Note: If you're going meatless, then add the beans with the rest of the mixture above and saute' the onions in the olive oil.)
Drain the meat and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add the whole jalapeno pepper. (Note that the heat is in the membranes and seeds inside. The pepper is just adding flavor here. Yes, it's optional. If you don't have a pepper but happen to have a jar of sliced jalapenos in the fridge, then add a little juice.)
Simmer for at least 45 minutes. Mine is going to go for a couple of hours. Add water if needed.
About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat, take two tablespoons of masa and add enough water to make a paste. (If you're making a larger batch, then adjust accordingly. Use a flour or cornstarch as a substitute.) Add the paste to the chili and bring back to a boil.
Taste your chili. This is the time to adjust spices if needed.
Simmer for another fifteen minutes or so.
Serve.
We serve ours with oyster crackers (or Goldfish crackers) and cubes of Colby jack cheese. Some people serve regular crackers; others warmed tortillas.
Leftovers will keep for about a week in the fridge.
So there ya go. My way of making Texas chili. As I said, there are as many ways as there are cooks. I really suggest you start with a kit. Make that a time or two and then adjust the ingredients from there. You may want to add other ingredients or subtract some. With enough practice you'll have your own signature chili!
Tags: Recipes, Chili
Filed under: Recipes Chili
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