Autumnwinter Essentials Heart Warming Chili Food

AUTUMN/WINTER ESSENTIALS: HEART WARMING CHILI

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a heavy-bottomed pot large that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients.
• 3. There are a lot of brands of chili beans out there. Some of my favorites are Bush's and Westbrae Organic. Most come packed in a sauce, and because that sauce will sway the taste of the chili, I usually rinse them before adding. But, that is just a personal preference.
• 4. Prepping trick, to save time, add all of the dry ingredients to a small bowl, mix to combine, and dump them in all at once.
• 5. Cocoa powder in a Chili? Many of you may already know this little trick, but adding of a bit of cocoa powder to something like a chili adds a richness you cannot describe.
• 6. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 7. Add the oil and butter to a heavy-bottom pot, over medium heat.
• 8. After the butter melts, give the pot a swirl to mix it with the oil, and throw in the diced onions.
• 9. Cook until the onions soften, but do not allow them to brown, about 4 - 6 minutes.
• 10. Add the ground beef and cook while breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
• 11. Cook until browned, about 4 - 7 minutes.
• 12. Add the DRY INGREDIENTS, then stir until they are incorporated with the onions, and beef, about 1 - 2 minutes.
• 13. Add the tomato paste and stir for an additional 1 - 2 minutes.
• 14. Add the beef stock, and stir, while slowly bringing the pot up to a simmer.
• 15. Add the remaining WET INGREDIENTS and bring back to a simmer.
• 16. Allow the chili, to simmer for an additional 30 - 45 minutes.
• 17. Chef's Tip: Give the chili a stir every few minutes, just make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. I HATE it when that happens.
• 18. PLATE/PRESENT
• 19. Serve in big bowls with your choice of toppings and sides. Enjoy.
• 20. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

AUTUMN/WINTER ESSENTIALS: CHILI, CHILI SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. If you do not have access to dried chilies, you can always use the store-bought, pre-ground variety. However, Amazon does sell these items, and the mix will taste better if you use whole chilies and grind them yourself.
• 3. If you want the mix to have deeper, richer flavor, after you stem and remove the seeds from the chili's, place them in a hot dry pan for a bit. The heat will bring out more of the chili flavor. Or, you could put them in a 250f (120c) oven for about 20 - 30 minutes.
• 4. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 5. Cut the chilies open and remove the seeds and the stems.
• 6. Add all of the ingredients to a spice, or really good blender (I use a Vitamix).
• 7. Mix until a powder. Blend-Baby-Blend.
• 8. Store in a glass jar with a good lid, in a cool dry place, as you would any other spices.
• 9. PLATE/PRESENT
• 10. Use in any recipe that calls for chili powder, but especially a nice pot of chili. Enjoy.
• 11. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

AUTUMN ESSENTIALS: AWESOME AUTUMN CHILI

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. For this recipe you will need a good heavy-bottom pot, like a Dutch oven.
• 3. What about frozen beef? This recipe calls for browning the beef before making the chili, so frozen beef would not work. So, plan ahead and defrost before making this dish. What type of beef is best? If you are using ground beef, then pretty much any type will do. If you are cubing it, then chuck would be my first choice; followed by brisket, short ribs, or round. Once you have finished the browning of the beef, make sure you drain off any excess grease before moving on. Can I use something other than beef? Yes, you can. Ground turkey, chicken; even turkey would work fine. You could leave out the protein, add some extra beans, and make it vegetarian. What kind of beans are best to use? I am using kidney beans, but red and black beans would work also. Just remember they need to be precooked. If you are looking for a good canned variety, Bush's beans are an excellent choice; plus, each can weighs' in at 16 ounces (perfect). If you buy chili beans that come in a pre-seasoned sauce. I would taste the sauce first. If it is not so great, rinse them before adding. If it tastes okay, chuck it in with the beans. FYI: Bush's beans have a kickin' sauce. Here is the recipe that I used for my beans: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/other-side-dish/cooking-under-pressure-flavorful-base-for-beans.html?r=4 Can I freeze the leftovers? Absolutely. If properly sealed, they should last several months in the freezer. I would recommend freezing it in individual portions. So, any time you have the urge for a chili fix, just take it out of the freezer. If you are using Ziploc bags, do not toss the bag into a pot of boiling water, they are not designed to withstand the extreme heat of boiling. My suggestion would be to remove the frozen chili from the bag, place it in a small saucepan over low, low heat, cover, and allow that low heat to speed up the defrosting process.
• 4. What about the chili seasoning? There are a lot of chili seasonings on the market, and you probably have your favorite. Since I enjoy homemade, this is the one I used for this recipe. It is not a powder but a paste: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/chili-paste-essentials-up-your-game.html If you prefer a chili powder, this is one that works well with this recipe: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/soup/soup-chili/diy-kick-butt-chili-powder.html?r=2 Why are you using chicken stock? My first batch used beef stock, and although it tasted okay, it was a bit too heavy for my tastes. So, I changed to chicken stock, and it came out perfect. Tamari sauce or liquid aminos in a chili? Okay, definitely not a traditional ingredient in a good pot of Texas chili; however, just a bit will deliver that Unami flavor that we love so much. If you wish, you could use a bit of Worcestershire sauce.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Cut your beef into small cubes or use ground beef. I ground mine thickly, in what is known as a chili grind. Regular, store-bought, ground beef will do just fine.
• 7. Add the oil to a pot over medium heat, and then add the beef.
• 8. Allow to cook down, until all the liquid has evaporated, and the beef begins to brown, about 12 - 14 minutes.
• 9. Add the onions and garlic, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, and the garlic is fragrant, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• 10. Add the seasoning spices.
• 11. Stir until combined, about 1 minute.
• 12. Add the liquid ingredients, and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.
• 13. Add the beans.
• 14. Gently simmer, partially covered, for about 60 minutes.
• 15. PLATE/PRESENT
• 16. Serve while nice and hot with some crusty bread, and good conversations. Enjoy.
• 17. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

FALL ESSENTIALS: DARK SECRET AUTUMNAL CHILI

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. This recipe uses two other recipes of mine. One is for the chili seasoning, and the other is for the meat. You do not have to use them; however, if you do, here they are: Autumn/Winter Essentials: Chili, Chili Spice Mix https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/autumn-winter-essentials-chili-chili-spice-mix.html?r=2 Do Ahead Essentials: Chili Meat in the Freezer https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/do-ahead-essentials-chili-meat-in-the.html?r=1
• 3. When it comes to canned tomatoes, there are great, good, and not so good brands. If you are interested in reading more on this fascinating subject, here are two articles I wrote, one that describes the different brands lurking out there, and another that talks about getting canned tomatoes tasting fresh. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/soup/soup-other-soup/cooking-class-the-best-canned-tomatoes.html?r=1 https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/sauce-spread-other-sauce-spread/removing-the-bitter-taste-from-canned-tomatoes.html?r=2
• 4. FYI: When it comes to the tomatoes, I usually can of whole peeled tomatoes, put them into a bowl, and use my hands to squeeze them until they break up. Why? Because that is how Aunt Josephine did it.
• 5. You will need a big old pot to make this recipe.
• 6. The "Dark Secret" to this recipe is the addition of dark chocolate. Which probably is not all that much of a secret to begin with. Just remember, to be careful. Adding to much chocolate (a little goes a long way) can turn your recipe from awesome to awful.
• 7. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 8. Add the chopped bacon to a large pot over medium heat.
• 9. Cook until the bacon renders its fat but does not crisp, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• 10. While the bacon is rendering chop up the onions, and mince the garlic.
• 11. Add the onions; along with the garlic, to the pot with the bacon.
• 12. Allow them to soften but not brown, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• 13. Add the beef stock tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar, then bring up to a simmer.
• 14. Add the recipe of make-ahead beef and stir to combine.
• 15. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• 16. Whisk together the flour and stock (The Slurry).
• 17. Add to the simmering chile and stir into the pot.
• 18. Simmer for an additional 25 - 30 minutes, to allow the chili to thicken, and the flavors to blend.
• 19. PLATE/PRESET
• 20. Serve while nice and hot, with some of my suggested side items. Enjoy.
• 21. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

DO AHEAD ESSENTIALS: CHILI MEAT IN THE FREEZER

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• The beer will help to tenderize the cubes of beef, and the chili powder will get it nice and flavorful.
• The chili spice powder will season the meat and get it ready for whatever you want to use it in. This is the seasoning that I used... So yummy: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/autumn-winter-essentials-chili-chili-spice-mix.html
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place)
• Chop the steak into cubes... chop, chop, chop.
• Add the steak to a bowl, and cover with the beer, then drink what is left.
• Let the beef sit for about an hour.
• While the beef is getting drunk, add the Italian sausage to a pot over medium heat, and cook until it begins to brown.
• Add the cubed beef (with the beer), and the ground chuck, then cook until it begins to brown.
• Add the chili seasoning and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook until most of the beer evaporates, and then allow to cool down.
• Place in freezer or vacuum sealer bags and freeze until needed.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Use in any recipe that calls for chili meat, like a bowl of chili, tacos, Mexican salads... Whatever. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.