Als Big Batch Chili Food

AB'S CHILI POWDER

Steps:

• Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.
• Once cool, place the chiles and cumin into the carafe of a blender along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Process until a fine powder is formed. Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the carafe. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

BIG-BATCH TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, oregano and 4 teaspoons salt, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle chiles and sauce, and cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up into bite-sized chunks with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 7 minutes. Add the beer, and simmer until reduced by about half, about 35 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your fingers into the skillet, along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Let the soup cool to room temperature, then divide among four 1-quart containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Thin it with a little water if desired, and add salt to taste. Serve with optional garnishes.

CHILI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• In an 8-qt. kettle or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. , Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

CHILLI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• If using dried beans and not freezing the chilli, rinse and pick over the beans, then soak them overnight in plenty of water. Rinse again, and tip into a large pan with enough water to cover by 5cm and bring to the boil. Boil briskly for 10 mins, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 30 mins or until tender. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based lidded pan and brown the pork, then the beef, in 4 batches, scooping into a bowl as you go. Slice the bacon into strips. Add to the empty pan and cook gently to begin with, raising the heat as the bacon crisps. Scoop the bacon out of the pan, stir in the onions, garlic, celery and the bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but hardly coloured - about 20 mins.
• Quarter the lemons lengthways, cut out the pithy core and remove the seeds. Chop into very small pieces, each with a bit of peel. Stir the chilli powder, cumin and oregano into the onions and stir-fry for a couple of mins, then return the meat, adding the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, lemon, wine and stock. Stir as the dish heats up, then simmer, covered, for 1 hr 30 mins. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Can be frozen at this stage for up to 1 month - defrost overnight in the fridge before continuing with the recipe.
• Add the beans to the pan - if you're using canned beans, rinse them first. Cook, uncovered, for a further 30 mins. Can be cooled at this stage and kept covered in the fridge for 24 hrs.
• Tip the soured cream into a bowl, snip the chives into small pieces then scatter them over the soured cream, cover and refrigerate until serving.
• To make the guacamole, halve the avocados lengthways, remove the stone and use a fork to mash the flesh into its shell. Scoop out into a bowl, mashing further if necessary (I like it lumpy). Add the chillies, onions and the garlic crushed to a paste with a little salt. Squeeze over the juice of 3 limes, season with black pepper and add the chopped coriander. Mix, adding extra lime juice to taste. Cover with cling film, allowing it to touch the surface. Chill until required.
• To prepare the couscous, boil the kettle and measure 750ml water into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and couscous. Stir, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 30 mins, then fluff up with a fork.
• Prepare the corn chips up to 1 hr before serving. Spread the chips on baking sheets, scatter over the cheese and place under a hot grill for 2-4 mins until molten and crusty. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with the chilli, couscous, guacamole, soured cream and chives and some coriander leaves sprinkled over the top, if you like.

BIG AL'S K.C. BAR-B-Q SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

AL'S BIG BATCH CHILI

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a skillet, drain fat off.
• In a 5 quart pot, saute onion, celery, and green pepper until tender.
• Add ground beef back in pot and add tomatoes with puree. Add water.
• Add seasonings chili pepper and garlic power, onion power, salt and pepper.
• Cook 2 hours until heated though.
• Add mushrooms and kidney beans the last 30 minutes of cooking and heat though. Serve.
• Notes: You can add hot peppers to the chili if you want to, he does. You can also add crushed tomatoes without puree, it will be more like a soup. My husband just uses crushed tomatoes with juice. This above is more thicker but still good.

CHILI, KID FRIENDLY, BIG BATCH

Steps:

• Cook hamburger with peppers, celery and onions. Once hamburger is cooked put into colander and rinse off with hot water to remove fat.
• Put meat mixture into the pot again, add remaining ingredients.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are soft.
• Note: If you want you can add 4 bay leaves also. Can use a mixture of beans also.
• Freezes beautifully.

BIG AL'S CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a jar with a lid, combine the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, egg substitute, garlic powder, paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Close the lid, and shake to blend. Place chicken in a shallow glass baking dish. Pour about 3/4 of the marinade over it, and reserve the rest for basting. Cover chicken, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and discard marinade from the dish. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Brush reserved sauce onto chicken just before serving.