It's Chili Time! - Red Chili

[OnAFly]

I think I've thrown this up here before, but here's my Red Chili recipe:

Red Chilli

3 pounds meat in 1-2" cubes, can use ground too

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, diced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bottle flavorful beer (Summit is good for this)

3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped

1/2 cup Ancho Chili Powder, recipe follows

1 (28-ounce) can diced/crushed tomatoes

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can chicken stock

2 TBSP cornmeal

1 TBSP dark chocolate

1 TBSP Lime Juice

1 TBSP Honey

Ancho Chili Powder

3 ancho chiles, seeded and hand-torn into pieces

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons whole coriander (grind it)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sugar

First the powder:

Remove seeds and cored from the anchos before tearing them into ~1" pieces. Take those (along with any whole spices you choose to use) and toast them in a dry skillit over med-low heat until you can really start smelling them. Once toasted, take it all and grind it up (I use a coffee grinder in batches). This is far better than the stuff you buy in the little bottles.

Now for the Chili:

Brown the meat in a little olive oil with S&P, then pull it out and put it on a plate. Add the onions&garlic and a little more olive oil and sweat them until translucent. Add the chili powder and stir for 2 minutes. Add the beer and stir to get all of the bits of the bottom. Once it's reduced by ~1/2, add your meat, chipotles, tomatoes, paste, beans and a can of chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the cornmeal, lime huice, honey and chocolate.

This has won a couple friendly competitions for me and gets made several times per fall/winter.

Here's a pic of a double batch. Enjoy!

[jmd1]

have you tried peanut butter in place of the chocolate? I will make red sauce for enchiladas and will change it up a bit. both take the bitterness out of the chile

[OnAFly]

You know, I did try that once as a test. I just took a little PB and put it into a bowl of chili just to get an idea of what the flavors would do with each other. Basically, the PB overpowered everything, so I dropped the idea.

Then, I saw it come up in a couple recipes while looking for ideas for a different chili. Maybe I shouldn't have given up so quick! I'll have to give it a legit shot one of these times.

[leech~~]

have you tried peanut butter in place of the chocolate? I will make red sauce for enchiladas and will change it up a bit. both take the bitterness out of the chile

Guys, really chocolate and peanut butter in Chili!! Not in my camp! Eeeuu.

[LABS4ME]

Guys, really chocolate and peanut butter in Chili!! Not in my camp! Eeeuu.

While I knw chili s not Mexican, traditional mole' sauce as dark chocolate in it too. It doe not taste like you poured Hershey's syrup in it. The drk chocolate adds a rich level to the heat.

I say do em both at the same time! Throw a couple Reese's peanut butter cups in a pot!

Good Luck!

Ken

[OnAFly]

Guys, really chocolate and peanut butter in Chili!! Not in my camp! Eeeuu.

The addition of beer doesn't make up for it?