chili

3-T Tuesday – Chili Seasonings

Welcome everyone to our weekly edition of 3-T Tuesday!  This week’s edition ties into our ongoing Chili Chronicles because we are going to discuss chili seasonings.

As I’ve made it abundantly clear that I love chili in the fall I though it would be a good time to talk about how to season the pot of chili that we started last week.  In that recipe I discussed using a chili mix in my fixings but one thing to remember is that the seasonings can define your chili and to me that’s the most important part.  I’m always looking to have my OWN chili recipe that I can pass down to my daughter.

Today we are going to discuss making our own chili powder.  A good friend of mine asked in last Thursday’s post, what to do if you couldn’t find the mix I recommended.  Use your own.  Now if you don’t have any interest in making your own chili powder then look near the spices and gravy mixes in your local grocery.  There should be at least a couple mixes there.  Or you could just buy chili powder.  But I say poo on that and let’s make our own!!

~Did you know that Chili Powder is just a mix of other spices?~

Chili Powder:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

So let’s talk about the five spices listed above and how to prepare the chili powder.  When mixing this recipe please please please do NOT use Garlic Salt instead of Garlic Powder!  They are two completely different things.

Many people don’t realize that each one of these spices has a variety of different versions.  Paprika comes in cheap ole’ paprika, smokey, Hungarian and so on and so forth….

I personally use very specific versions of these spices and I would encourage you to experiment also to try and find a version you like.

**WARNING – Cayenne pepper is hot.  Once you add that to the mixture you MUST wash your hands immediately to get the residue off you hands. 

BONUS TIME!!!!

I’m sitting here writing this weeks post and my 4 month olds’ good mood is rubbing off on me.  The recipe above is for chili powder but what about the mix that goes in chili?  Good question because you don’t just use chili powder, you mix up a chili spice mix.

Chili Mix

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

One thing to consider in the Chili Mix recipe is that there is no salt listed.  I do not believe in pre salting seasonings.  It’s one thing if the salt comes in the tomatoes like on Thursday’s recipe.  You should only add salt to food when it is needed.  This helps keep down on the sodium levels in your meals.

AND NOW FOR THE TIP OF THE WEEK!!

When it comes time to mix the spices together for the Chili Powder I recommend using an inexpensive coffee grinder.  The reason I say inexpensive is because you’ll never get the flavor out of your regular coffee grinder.  I highly recommend this method of mixing because it allows you to a really good mix and it also helps ensure that the spices are evenly distributed.

BONUS TIP!!

I like to mix my spices in large batches so I tend to buy large quantities.  There are two great ways to buy large quantities.  Find you local Indian Food Market.  They tend to sell spices in large quantities which makes it really easy to mix up large batches.  The other way is at your local warehouse club!  Costco and Sam’s carry very large batches of common spices that makes it really easy to mix up batches!

Keep Cooking Folks!

Chef Ben

Base Chili!!

I would never consider chili to be a Lazy Sunday meal.  Chili is so much more complex than people give it credit for.  I love chili for this complexity and have been working for many years to perfect and play with the base recipe to create best chili that I can.  My hope is to provide you with a strong base recipe that you can work with until you find your perfect recipe.

One thing I will say now (and will reiterate in a later Chili Chronicles post) is use a Crock-Pot.  I can not stress this enough.  You must let chili cook for at least four hours at low in a Crock-Pot to get the beginning of a right flavor and no more that six hours at low.  Any longer and the meat will begin to get mushy and you’ll lose the body of the chili.

So you think you are ready?  Well let’s see what you can do!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of meat

2 20+ oz. cans of seasoned diced tomatoes.  I love Dei Fratelli tomatoes and they have one that is seasoned with sea salt.  Therefore you won’t have to add salt to the chili.

2 16 oz. cans of beans (your choice) rinsed well

1 large white onion

8 oz can of tomato sauce

A chili mix that strikes your fancy.  I am a huge fan of Carrol Shelby’s Chili kit because it comes with all the seasoning you’ll need AND some Masa flour for thickening the chili.

Directions:

1) Brown the meat thoroughly in a large skillet, in batches if needed. If you are using a mix of meats (I use combinations of Pork, Beef, and Veal) I recommend hand combining the mixture in a bowl prior to browning the meat.

2) Dice your onions as thick or thin as you want them.  I love thick wedges that I let roast in in the Crock-Pot for 4 hours.

3) In your Crock-Pot add everything else.  Remember not to add ANY salt!  Also hold off on the Masa flour that came with the kit.  The Masa goes in at the very end based on how thin or thick you want the chili. (tomato sauce, onion, rinsed beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder from the kit or mix)

4) Set Crock-Pot to low

5) Stir in meat mixture once its browned and rinsed.  (Rinse the meat to get all the excess grease off)

6) Cook for 4-5 hours stirring and taste testing every so often.

7) If you like thick chili, add the Masa flour and stir in very well about 1 hour prior to serving.  You’ll see the chili begin to thicken almost immediately.

Serving Suggestions:

Sour Cream

Cheese

a variety of Hot Sauces (green, red, smoky)

Tortillas

Rice

Beans (if not mixed in the chili)

Pasta

Diced Onion

Corn Chips (like Fritos)

Enjoy!!

I hope everyone enjoys this base chili recipe.  There will be many future articles that will deconstruct chili and it’s contents, that will hopefully allow each one of us to develop our own chili recipes.  One day I will pass my recipe down to my beautiful daughter, Mallory.

Keep Cooking Gang,

Chef Ben

Chili Chronicles: Part 1

So how do you take these items

and turn them into this?

The interesting thing is that it’s been a source of contention based on different parts of the country.  The South vs. Texas vs. the West vs. the North.  Everybody has their own ideas of what chili should be including myself.  I know that I really love a sweet and smoky chili with no beans.

That brings up a whole different discussion about the contents of the chili.  If flavor is the first battle, contents are certainly the second.  Beans or no beans, chilies or no chilies, what type of meat to use in the chili.  There are all different types of thoughts behind the flavors, textures, and heat levels.

As the weeks progress and the weather cools here in Central Ohio, I tend to make chili every weekend but I don’t think it really qualifies as a lazy Sunday meal.  I put a lot of work into my chili because I really enjoy eating it and watching my wife’s face as the different flavors come out of the concoction.  Some nights I just want water with my chili, some nights its an ice cold beer and sometimes it’s milk to cool the heat but I truly do believe that chili is without a doubt the best fall food and I hope that I can educate you about the different types of ingredients, varieties, and flavors that go into a great bowl of chili.

Be talking to you soon,

Chef_Ben