Chilli Anyone?

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**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

I just made my dindins. Basic Chilli, with home made Potato Wedges.

600 grams Minced Beef
400 gram Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
400 gram tin of Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce
One Onion, roughly chopped
1 Packet Old El Paso Chilli flavouring sachet thing.

Sweat the Onion in a deep pan with a little oil, then add the Mince to brown.
Stir in contents of the sachet.
Bring to a simmer, and chuck in the Tomatoes.
Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the Kidney Beans.
Ready 5 minutes later.

Potato Wedges dead simple.

Cut washed spuds into 8 segments.
Mix some Olive Oil up with various herbs and spices to taste
Toss the segments in the Oil
Whack in the oven for 18 minutes at 200 degrees.

My cooking skills might be basic, but they are solid!

So, if it's not sacrilege, anyone have a reccomendation for even better Chilli?

**Orkeosaurus**

My mom made great chili. I can't remember the recipe for it though.

It's good with Fritos.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

What are these Fritos you speak of Foreign Type?

**Orkeosaurus**

Corn chips. (Or "'Maize Crisps", or whatever you guys call things.

)

**Frazzled**

No matter what mom always cooks the best, at whatever. Is the law.

The best chili takes at least 8-12 hours to cook.
Where's the chili powder?
Beans? what are you a yankee?
Fritoes-ah the awesomeness of chili pie. Yes indeed.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Ah fair enough! Kind of like Tortillas?

I got some Taco Shells for that purpose. Little bland, but I'm trying to cut down my salt intake.

**squilverine**

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, add three finely chopped cloves of garlic some salt and pepper, let this infuse with the oil for a minute or two, be careful not to burn the garlic!

Add 400g of steak mince pulled appart so its not in chunks, add a finely chopped chilli and sprinkle on a couple of oxo cubes. leave on a low heat to brown off. Once browned add this to a large pot.

Next roughly chop two peppers, some mushrooms and two large onions, sweat these off and add them to the pot with the mince.

Put the pot on a medium hob and add two tins of chopped tomatoes, a small can of sweetcorn and a can of kidney beans, let this simmer before adding salt and pepper, about 4 teaspoons of cumin, one of paprika and one of cayenne, then add a large squeez of ketchup some tobasco and several splashed of lea and perrins.

Let all this simmer for about ten minutes(you can add more garlic and fresh chilli if you like), play around with the amounts of spices until you get the taste you like.

Just before serving stir in the secret ingredient, 1 or 2 tea spoons of mango chutney!

Serve with garlic bread and white rice, if the chilli comes out a bit hot add some natural greek yoghurt to cool it down.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Frazz matey, gimme recipes hints!

Being a Foreign Type to you Foreign Types, I have limited knowledge of such cooking types.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Squilverine....sounds pretty good, apart from the Sweetcorn. Would it make a huge difference to leave that out?

**Frazzled**

Here's a bunch.
http://www.g6csy.net/chile/recp-texas.html

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Would it be naughty to add Kidney Beans to those recipes?

I really like the taste and texture of them. Plus it's ever more protein for my brain, without the fat of the meat.

**squilverine**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Frazz matey, gimme recipes hints!

Being a Foreign Type to you Foreign Types, I have limited knowledge of such cooking types.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Squilverine....sounds pretty good, apart from the Sweetcorn. Would it make a huge difference to leave that out?

Not at all, I only started putting it in there after reading somewhere that it was traditional to add it and had a spare can rattling around the cupboard!

**Orkeosaurus**

MDG wrote:Would it be naughty to add Kidney Beans to those recipes?

I really like the taste and texture of them. Plus it's ever more protein for my brain, without the fat of the meat.

Do it! Texans don't know how to make chili right. Only Minnesotans do.

**Frazzled**

beans are fine actually (I know its heresy but I'm not worried). Just make sure you let the whole thing simmer for a long time.

Don't insult the chili with turkey or chicken though. It has to be beef, or something more exotic (armadillo, snake or such). Not because its good but becuase if you make chili out of rattler you caught yourself, You are MUI MAS MACHO!!!!

**Orkeosaurus**

I second the beef rule. Well, pork might be acceptable.

No poultry though. That doesn't belong in chili.

**J.Black**

Lazy Chili

Fry in vegetable oil:
1 roughly chopped white onion,
1 roughly chopped green pepper,
1 roughly chopped orange pepper,
2 finely diced birds eye chilis,
1 tbs cumin seeds,
1 tbs smoked paprika,
1/2 tbs hot chili powder.

Once the onions and peppers have begun to soften, add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and two tins of mixed beans (taco bean mix works well, i can never be bothered to soak 6 types of beans overnight). Add a splash of boiling water and quickly bring the whole thing to the boil.

Reduce to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Keep cooking for at least 4 hours, ideally about 6. Even better is to stop cooking after 6 hours, cool it down overnight then cook it for another 6 hours then next day

In a separate pan, dry fry about 1kg of minced beef (the leaner the better) until well browned. Drain off any excess fat/water and add to the chilli mix after about 2/3 of the cooking time (2h40m if cooking for 4 hours, 4h if cooking for 6 hours, etc...) along with a splash of red wine, two tbs of soy sauce, and 1 tbs brown sugar (can use cocoa instead. Unless, like me, you're allergic to cocoa as this would result in a horrendous allergic reaction).

Taste the chili every 30mins or so (if you can be bothered) and adjust the seasoning or add more chili powder as necessary. About 10mins before you intend to eat, throw in a few shots of good quality tequila (reposado if you've got it)

For an extra spicy and tasty chili, tie a piece of string around a scotch bonnet pepper and place in the mix once it is simmering. remove this after NO MORE THAN 2 HOURS or it will begin to break down and render your chili inedible (unless you have recently had your mouth tarmacked)!

For a vegetarian version:

Don't add the beef, bring the chili to a fast boil and pour it over your head. It's all you deserve

**Frazzled**

Orkeosaurus wrote:I second the beef rule. Well, pork might be acceptable.

No poultry though. That doesn't belong in chili.

I have had sausage in chili which can be wondrous.

They only thing that should taste like poutry in chili is gator. But if you have gator there's better uses for it than chili. consult a Louisiana chef at that point.

**squilverine**

For a vegetarian version:

Don't add the beef, bring the chili to a fast boil and pour it over your head. It's all you deserve

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Good stuff!

And whilst I agree in principal about the Veggie bit, sadly my Land Lady is allergic to something in meat, which means she is Veggie by necessity.

Quorn Mince can be pretty good. Might experiment with it, though I'd have to enhance the flavour in the sauce.

Interestingly, never heard of Chilli being made with any meat other than Minced Beef!

**squilverine**

Frazzled wrote:
Orkeosaurus wrote:I second the beef rule. Well, pork might be acceptable.

No poultry though. That doesn't belong in chili.

I have had sausage in chili which can be wondrous.

They only thing that should taste like poutry in chili is gator. But if you have gator there's better uses for it than chili. consult a Louisiana chef at that point.

I have had sausage in chill before, but it has to be a proper meaty sausage not processed muck.

**Albatross**

@Squilverine - I use a pretty similar recipe myself. However, I substitute the chopped tomatoes for a basic passata (blended and sieved tomatoes - think puree, but more liquid) and I add a little cinnamon - not too much though! You don't want it to taste like a danish! My super top tip has to be...SUGAR! Again, not too much - probs about a tablespoon in an average sized wok. Add to taste. It makes both chilli and any scratch-build pasta sauce, taste more, well...

Have you ever noticed that whatever you do, nothing you cook is quite the same as a takeaway? Sugar (or MSG) is often the difference.
I also don't add 'shrooms - that says 'Italian' to me - but that's your call mate! And Kidney beans - 1000 times yes. I love 'em.

**J.Black**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Good stuff!

And whilst I agree in principal about the Veggie bit, sadly my Land Lady is allergic to something in meat, which means she is Veggie by necessity.

Quorn Mince can be pretty good. Might experiment with it, though I'd have to enhance the flavour in the sauce.

Interestingly, never heard of Chilli being made with any meat other than Minced Beef!

If the poor thing is allergic to meat, just take out a portion for her before you add the meat.

Personally, I would rather have a bean chilli than put pretend meat in it. Bulgar wheat is great for bulking out meals and has a nice texture to it too; just add a good hand full about 1 hour before the end of the cooking process.

I know it's kinda the same thing, but try roasting some beef ribs (dirt cheap at the butchers

) then putting the meat from them into your Chilli. It has a much richer flavour and a more hefty texture than mince, yes it's a bit more fiddling about but it's not as if you're gonna be running out of time with a dish that takes half a day to cook

**Orkeosaurus**

Albatross wrote:My super top tip has to be...SUGAR! Again, not too much - probs about a tablespoon in an average sized wok.

Ever try chocolate?

**J.Black**

Chocolate works great; it sweetens the acidity of the tomatoes and gives a nice dark sheen to boot.

**Fateweaver**

Brown sugar and a little honey are also wondrous in chili (and better for you).

**Albatross**

@Orkeosaurus - Nope, haven't tried it. Heard it's good though. One would assume dark chocolate, in keeping with the mexican theme...correct?

**Kilkrazy**

I third chocolate, it's the secret ingredient.

I always put garlic and two different kinds of beans in my chilli. And beef.

**J.Black**

Yeah, Dark choc ftw.

I'm nor sure about the whole garlic thing, i know it removes the need for some of the seasoning but in something as fiery as a chilli i don't think it's necessary.

Am i the only one to add booze to it? I love tequila, plus it fits with the mexican theme but i have heard that a good slug of JD works well too.

**Albatross**

Yeah, but the Cumin is indispensable. The smell of it IS chilli, to me. I use shedloads.

**Frazzled**

Kilkrazy wrote:I third chocolate, it's the secret ingredient.

I always put garlic and two different kinds of beans in my chilli. And beef.

Wait, chocolate in Chili? Do your mothers know you swear like that?

**J.Black**

Albatross wrote:Yeah, but the Cumin is indispensable. The smell of it IS chilli, to me. I use shedloads.

QFT

Chili's make it spicy, cumin gives it that deep heat

I really want to make chilli now :(