stu3@mhuxh.UUCP (Mark Modig) (10/09/84)
I am planning to have a go at making some chili in the near future. Does anybody have a favorite recipe or just some general pointers? If it helps any, I like food fairly spicy, and I do not really care for chili I've tasted in the past that has had beans in it. (but, if you are really convinced that beans are necessary, maybe you can convince me, too.) If there are enuf responses and interests, I will post a summary to the net. If there are a reasonable number of responses, I might be tempted to try several and report my purely subjective and incredibly biased taste test results as well. Thanks, Mark Modig ..ihnp4!btlunix!mom
gregt@tektronix.UUCP (Greg Thomas) (10/10/84)
[ Two of my chili secrets revealed below ]
I find that the *key* to superior chili is the spice, cumin.
You can make hot chili lots of ways, but you'll never achieve
a real "Mexican" taste until you add cumin. Cumin is that
special ingredient common to many Mexican dishes; the least
common denominator, if you will.
I like kidney beans in my chili, not pinto beans. I find that
adding beans is an economical way to stretch the recipe, and
besides, I like the taste. I also use half stewing beef
(browned in olive oil) and half ground beef. I always serve
my chili with corn tortillas with melted cheddar cheese on top,
and a tall glass of suds (Anchor Steam, preferably).
Maybe I'll post my never-before-written-down recipe for
"Meltdown Chili" in the next few days. Just maybe.
Greg Thomas Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon
uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss,ihnp4,allegra}!tektronix!gregt
CSnet: gregt@tek
ARPAnet: gregt.tek@csnet-relaygary@rochester.UUCP (Gary Cottrell) (10/12/84)
> I am planning to have a go at making some chili in the near future. > Does anybody have a favorite recipe or just some general pointers? My favorite is Cashew Chili, from the "Wings of Life" cook book by Julie Jordan. She owns the CabbageTown Cafe, the major competitor of the Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, NY, where you can sample the chili. (Great cornbread too- I like to add cashews and raisins to it.) gary cottrell (allegra or seismo)!rochester!gary (UUCP) gary@rochester (ARPA)
jel@digi-g.UUCP (John Lind) (10/12/84)
Hmmm. In my opinion, chili MEANS a spiced bean dish, and we have
to denote the kind containing beef by saying chili con carne (with
beef). In fact, I prefer "con carne" because of the beef fat for
frying the spices, and I use some beef in my chili, but it is definately
not the feature item. I will post my recipe. Whether or not anyone
uses it, I think there will be points of interest.
Ingredients:
2 lbs dried red kidney beans 1 lb pinto beans
1 lb lentils 2 LARGE onions
2 cloves garlic 1 to 2 lb ground beef.
1 12oz can tomato paste 1 16oz can tomato sauce or
whole tomatoes
1/2 c or more chili powder OR cumin, whole chili peppers, oregano.
Wash beans and soak overnight. If you aren't used to soaking beans,
make sure that you start out with more than twice the depth of water as
of beans. If you notice any of the beans starting to "peak out" from
the water, add more.
Transfer the beans to a 5qt or larger container. Add or drain off water
until the beans are not quite covered. Add a little "cooking salt". Bring
the beans to a boil, and keep them cooking quietly for 20 minutes or more.
While the beans are cooking, chop up LOTS of onions -- 2 big ones or more.
Also peel and crush or mince two cloves of garlic. Brown the ground beef,
onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. When the beans have
cooked the prescribed amount of time, add the paste and sauce or chopped
whole tomatoes. Also add the browned beef, onions, and garlic, but
retain the drippings. Now, fry the 1/2 cup of chili powder carefully
until it darkens. If it starts to smoke, stop right away. Frying
spices is a little tricky, since they do not sizzle and bubble proportional
to the temperature. If you like you chili a little more peppy, add one or
two chopped dried chili peppers to the frying spice. If you have a
well stocked spice cupboard, you can skip the chili powder and use the
raw ingredients from which it is made. I use 1/2 cup or more (who
measures? I like SIGNIFICANT chili) cumin, and 5 or more chopped dried
chili peppers, and 1/8 cup or more crushed oregano leaves. Add the
spices to the rest of the mixture and stir carefully (if you are using
a 5qt container, it will now be FULL).
You may now transfer the whole works to a 6qt crock for slow cooking
(if you have an "auto-shift" cooker, use that setting, else cook on
high for one hour and then on low for several), or to a roasting
pan or large covered baking dish to bake (I haven't tried that
myself -- experiment since cooking time is not critical except to
cook in all those flavors) or leave it in your pan (if it is large enough)
and cook for 1 hour, or two, or three, or whatever. This recipe gets
quite thick, and if you are going to cook it on top of the stove, it
will require stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Some of my roomates have rather more delicate mouths, so I typically
split the recipe before adding too many whole chilis. I used to leave
the larger batch mild, but now it is the smaller which remains tame.
True taste will out :-)
------
John Lind, DSC, 10273 Yellow Circle Drive, Mpls MN 55343
mail : { ihnp4!umn-cs, stolaf!umn-cs, umn-cme }!digi-g!jel
USnail: Starfire Consulting Services, PO Box 13001, Minneapolis, MN 55414bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (10/14/84)
I agree with Greg Thomas that enthusiastic addition of cumin is critical
to good chili. Cumin adds a 'savory' quality not obtainable through any
other Mexican spice. It is, of course, one of the components of chili
powder.
Speaking of which...I find most available chili powders to be entirely
too bland for the kind of Chili I like to make. Judicious addition of
red (not cayenne) pepper is also well advised.
Only uncivilized people make chili with ground beef. A combination of
beef and pork, shredded, is preferred unless you have dietary restric-
tions against pork. Soup bone, with plenty of marrow, is also critical
to getting a full-tasting chili. Cooking time is at least 3 hours,
preferably more.
Finally, do not, under any circumstances, defat the chili until you are
ready to eat it. Ideal chili should be somewhat greasy, though not
overly so. Best results are obtained by a defatting brush just prior
to ladling it out (yum!)
--
Byron C. Howes
{decvax|akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bchinc@fluke.UUCP (10/19/84)
First, I agree with all those who point to cumin as the quintessential
Mexican spice. Second, I wanted to add that freshly ground coriander is
nearly as important to an authentic 'savory' taste in chili as well as
tacos. And third, I highly recommend that a mortar and pestil be one of your
FIRST spice purchases. Don't get one of those little wimpy ones, or the type
made out of metal. Get the real thing: a nice, half-cup, medical sized stone
set, and it will pay for itself in terms of what you can do with nutmeg,
coriander, cardamon, and lots of other fine spices.
--
Gary Benson ms232e -*- John Fluke Mfg Co -*- Box C9090 -*- Everett WA 98206 USA
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