Chilli Con Carne - your best recipe please!
Discussion
I love a good chilli, and a little while ago I spent a little time searching recipies and doing some experimenting trying to uncover the ultimate.
Best I found is this;
http://dinnerdiary.org/2009/05/12/the-ultimate-chi...
Which is excellent, and worth the bit off faff pulping chilli and garlic etc..
I even cooked up a huge batch for the first night of my stag do and it could not have gone down better.
However, after cooking it up a dozen times or so you get used to it if you know what I mean, and Saturday night we went round for drinks with some friends and they served up a bowl of home made chilli; completely different to the above - a kind of sweet chilli compared to the smokeyness of the one I cook. Now it wasn't better (or worse), but it was nice to have a change, so this has got me itching for an alternative (but equally good) recipe just to mix it up a bit
So come on, do your best please!
Best I found is this;
http://dinnerdiary.org/2009/05/12/the-ultimate-chi...
Which is excellent, and worth the bit off faff pulping chilli and garlic etc..
I even cooked up a huge batch for the first night of my stag do and it could not have gone down better.
However, after cooking it up a dozen times or so you get used to it if you know what I mean, and Saturday night we went round for drinks with some friends and they served up a bowl of home made chilli; completely different to the above - a kind of sweet chilli compared to the smokeyness of the one I cook. Now it wasn't better (or worse), but it was nice to have a change, so this has got me itching for an alternative (but equally good) recipe just to mix it up a bit
So come on, do your best please!
Ground spices will do the job fine...don't worry about pulping from scratch. We (me + Mrs McAndy) like:
Lean beef mince (or beans, e.g. mung, black eyed, red split lentils)
Kidney beans
Tinned tomatoes
White onions
Garlic
[Green peppers: optional, but make sure you fry the water out of them otherwise the texture is ruined]
Tomato purée
Worcestershire sauce
Cocoa powder
Chillies
Cumin (a fair amount of)
Oregano
Ground coriander
Ginger (small amount)
Fry onions/garlic until yellow(ish) translucent(ish), fry mince (until brown), [fry peppers: optional], fry spices, add all other ingreadients and simmer for a looong time! (About an hour or so minimum to give really good depth of flavour. Can be done as a quick meal but will be better the longer you simmer).
Hope this helps!
Andy
Lean beef mince (or beans, e.g. mung, black eyed, red split lentils)
Kidney beans
Tinned tomatoes
White onions
Garlic
[Green peppers: optional, but make sure you fry the water out of them otherwise the texture is ruined]
Tomato purée
Worcestershire sauce
Cocoa powder
Chillies
Cumin (a fair amount of)
Oregano
Ground coriander
Ginger (small amount)
Fry onions/garlic until yellow(ish) translucent(ish), fry mince (until brown), [fry peppers: optional], fry spices, add all other ingreadients and simmer for a looong time! (About an hour or so minimum to give really good depth of flavour. Can be done as a quick meal but will be better the longer you simmer).
Hope this helps!
Andy
My approach, evolved over time and with input from chilli experts. Incidentally, a good chilli is as much about technique as ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large green pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic (or more), green shoot taken out and crushed
- 4 chillies (or more), chopped. De-seeding is for wimps. Which chillies depends on the sort of heat you want. I use Thai for a sharp, bright heat which quickly dissipates; Habaneros for a slower more lingering heat. Or a combination of the two
- 500g 20% fat minced beef, taken out of the fridge a few hours beforehand to allow it to come up to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
- Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
- Goose fat (yes goose fat for frying)
Method
Sweat the onion, green pepper and celery in a tablespoon of goose fat on a low heat in a heavy casserole until the veggies are translucent and no longer exuding moisture.
Add chillies and garlic and sweat for a minute or two.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan, and chuck in the mince in a whole block. Dry off any moisture on the outside with a kitchen towel. FFS don't break it up with a spoon. You want the block of mince to brown on the outside, since browning meat is where the flavour is. Breaking it up will boil the mince and result in a grey, tasteless mass.
Once the block of mince is browned on all sides (take care when turning it over), add it to the casserole with the sweated veggies. You can break it up at this point. Don't worry about the raw bits - you want these to cook slowly to add body to the dish.
Add the tomatoes and the rest of the spices.
Set on a low heat, covered, for 2 hours (or more).
Taste, season, add more cayenne if needed, plus the kidney beans, and cook on a low heat for another hour (or more). The beans should split (mash a few in to add body).
Let it cool overnight in a cool place, and reheat next day (or later).
I personally think it's best after three.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large green pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic (or more), green shoot taken out and crushed
- 4 chillies (or more), chopped. De-seeding is for wimps. Which chillies depends on the sort of heat you want. I use Thai for a sharp, bright heat which quickly dissipates; Habaneros for a slower more lingering heat. Or a combination of the two
- 500g 20% fat minced beef, taken out of the fridge a few hours beforehand to allow it to come up to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
- Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
- Goose fat (yes goose fat for frying)
Method
Sweat the onion, green pepper and celery in a tablespoon of goose fat on a low heat in a heavy casserole until the veggies are translucent and no longer exuding moisture.
Add chillies and garlic and sweat for a minute or two.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan, and chuck in the mince in a whole block. Dry off any moisture on the outside with a kitchen towel. FFS don't break it up with a spoon. You want the block of mince to brown on the outside, since browning meat is where the flavour is. Breaking it up will boil the mince and result in a grey, tasteless mass.
Once the block of mince is browned on all sides (take care when turning it over), add it to the casserole with the sweated veggies. You can break it up at this point. Don't worry about the raw bits - you want these to cook slowly to add body to the dish.
Add the tomatoes and the rest of the spices.
Set on a low heat, covered, for 2 hours (or more).
Taste, season, add more cayenne if needed, plus the kidney beans, and cook on a low heat for another hour (or more). The beans should split (mash a few in to add body).
Let it cool overnight in a cool place, and reheat next day (or later).
I personally think it's best after three.
Mobile Chicane said:
Heat up a non-stick frying pan, and chuck in the mince in a whole block. Dry off any moisture on the outside with a kitchen towel. FFS don't break it up with a spoon. You want the block of mince to brown on the outside, since browning meat is where the flavour is. Breaking it up will boil the mince and result in a grey, tasteless mass.
That's a great tip that I have never heard or thought of before. Thanks!
Don't buy mince from a supermarket
Whether its is standard stuff or taste the differance, nothing beats mince from a decent butchers, as it is minced beef.
Not minced left overs/eyelashes/nostrils etc and a shed load of water and other more unfortunate additives
Try it, and you will never go back to Lessthansuper - market stuff
K
Whether its is standard stuff or taste the differance, nothing beats mince from a decent butchers, as it is minced beef.
Not minced left overs/eyelashes/nostrils etc and a shed load of water and other more unfortunate additives
Try it, and you will never go back to Lessthansuper - market stuff
K
Two things I use in mine are Pinto Beans (what the Yanks use), as Kidney beans usually get hard when cooked, whilst Pinto Beans get softer, and break down if cooked long enough - they are what is used in Mexican refried beans (yum!).
And adding a chopped up Chipotle Chilli to the pot - it infuses a lovely smokey flavour to your Chilli
And adding a chopped up Chipotle Chilli to the pot - it infuses a lovely smokey flavour to your Chilli
Pothole said:
it may well be viewed as a heinous food crime by you lot, but I always use Old El Paso seasoning mix from a packet and a spoonful of cocoa.
I eat white bread, lick my plate and have even been known to pick my nose in the car, lower the window and flick it. Buy packet mixes and sauces in jars?
Never.
Funnily enough I used to use schwarz packet mix myself years ago, it was ok, but nothing a very simple recipe with chilli powder, cumin, garlic and cocoa powder couldn't match.
Some good recommendations there thanks! I already use cocoa powder and red wine, but I have ALWAYS broken down my mince as I brown it, so will try browning it as suggested.
Incidently, I do always brown my mince seperately (whatever I'm making) rather than in the dish.
Regarding the vinegar advice, funnily enough I always add a dash of balsamic to bolognese, or if making a cottage pie.
One thing I always do aswell is crumble an Oxo cube over the mince as I brown it.
Had the remains of my last chilli today at lunch over a jacket potato.. bloody lovely
Some good recommendations there thanks! I already use cocoa powder and red wine, but I have ALWAYS broken down my mince as I brown it, so will try browning it as suggested.
Incidently, I do always brown my mince seperately (whatever I'm making) rather than in the dish.
Regarding the vinegar advice, funnily enough I always add a dash of balsamic to bolognese, or if making a cottage pie.
One thing I always do aswell is crumble an Oxo cube over the mince as I brown it.
Had the remains of my last chilli today at lunch over a jacket potato.. bloody lovely
Brown the mince, add one chopped onion and garlic to taste. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Then add:
One tin of chopped tomatoes.
A splodge of ketchup.
A splodge of tomato puree.
One Oxo cube (or two, depending on the quantity of mince).
A splodge of Worcester Sauce.
A spoonful of Marmite.
Mixed herbs.
Kidney beans.
Salt & pepper.
Red wine
A bay leaf or two.
Chopped red chilli(es) to taste.
One tin of chopped tomatoes.
A splodge of ketchup.
A splodge of tomato puree.
One Oxo cube (or two, depending on the quantity of mince).
A splodge of Worcester Sauce.
A spoonful of Marmite.
Mixed herbs.
Kidney beans.
Salt & pepper.
Red wine
A bay leaf or two.
Chopped red chilli(es) to taste.
Mobile Chicane said:
Pothole said:
it may well be viewed as a heinous food crime by you lot, but I always use Old El Paso seasoning mix from a packet and a spoonful of cocoa.
I eat white bread, lick my plate and have even been known to pick my nose in the car, lower the window and flick it. Buy packet mixes and sauces in jars?
Never.
My personal take is that there is a million ways to do a CCC, all right and they'll all be nice. You'd also have to go a long way to ruin one with one single ingredient. I just work with what I have to hand and chuck in whatever I dare. Never had an iffy one yet!
Edited by bazking69 on Friday 14th May 11:53
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