Heidi Rogers Chili Food

SIMPLE, PERFECT CHILI

Steps:

• Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.
• After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.

HEIDI'S FAMOUS CHILI

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a little oil or water, add onions.
• Add chili powder and RO-TEL diced tomatoes/chiles, stir and heat for several minutes.
• Add HOT chili beans (I use Brooks' Hot Chili Beans but you can use whatever brand is available--if you aren't "into" hot, you can try any style of chili beans). I rinse the cans and add 1/2 a can (1/2 cup) of water per can of beans so there's extra water for noodles. If you're not using noodles, don't add the water.
• After this mixture has heated, I add the 2 large cans of tomatoes, juice and all. Simmer. Add the 2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate--it adds an extra dimension to the flavor of the tomatoes.
• When this is near-boiling, add noodles if you're going to. Simmer until these are done.
• Taste-test--you can add more chili powder if you like it really spicy.
• Remove from heat for 5-10 minutes and let rest. Stir once more before serving. It should have a nice, thick texture, not too runny. Makes 10 hearty servings, holds its flavor for leftovers.
• Serve with cornbread muffins, mexican cheese or mild cheddar, sour cream, and oyster crackers.
• Everytime I make this, I try to improve it. The recipe is a work in progress! Last night I added some garlic powder to the mix and it was quite good. I've added vermouth at times, tequila, beer (not so crazy about this), stewed whole tomatoes instead of diced (use 3 cans of whole tomatoes), and green peppers if they're available. It's all a matter of taste.
• Enjoy!

HEIDI ROGER'S CHILI

Steps:

• 1. In large frying pan, salt and brown half the beef, about 5-7 minutes; drain fat; repeat with remaining beef and set aside. 2. In large pot over medium flame, heat oil and saute onion and pepper until soft, about 5-7 minutes; add some salt to onions and stir gently. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander; stir until well-combined and cook for 1 minute longer. 3. Add to pot the reserved beef, beer, stock and tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes. 4. Add kidney and pinto bean and continue to simmer, uncovered, until chili is slightly thickened, about another 5-7 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust to taste.