rcd@opus.UUCP (03/07/84)
Two chili recipes. Proportions are for large crowds; scale as needed. The
quantities are APPROXIMATE. Use these as starting points.
(Also see notes at the end and the article I posted just before this one.)
Recipe #1 - "Chili Feed Red" - mild to moderate
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If you want beans in the chili, soak overnight:
4 lb. pintos
...then cook normally while you get the rest together:
10 lb. beef, cut into 3/4" cubes. Need not be especially tender but lean
meat is better
3-4 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-8 bell peppers, some cut into little chunks, some in longer strips
4 lb. canned tomatoes, including liquid
2 lb. canned green chiles (anaheims or something mild - if the can
doesn't say, they're probably mild. Look for a "heat" indicator on
the side of the can)
(I give "canned" units for items that you may not find fresh, but
substitute fresh ingredients whenever possible.)
Brown meat in a little oil, add onion and garlic and continue cooking until
onion is transparent. Turn down the heat and add 1/2 the tomatoes to get
some moisture in, then add the bell peppers and green chiles. (Add the rest
of the tomatoes later, when you're sure you want them in.) Now season:
1-2 T. cumin, ground
3-4 T. mild chili powder (better to use a larger quantity of a milder
powder, to get the flavor)
1 t. oregano (yes, this IS a Mexican spice)
1 t. cayenne
1/4 t. clove (be careful; too much will give a truly strange result)
salt, to taste
If you wish, add a jalapeno or two, ground black pepper, cilantro, etc.
EXPERIMENT! (after you get the basics down). Add the beans, if any, after
the seasoning. If you need to thin it down, first use the water in which
the beans were cooked, then add some decent beer.
Simmer the whole mess for many hours. Adjust the seasoning after it's
mostly done cooking; the flavors will change as it cooks. The above recipe
ought to serve about 25. Serve with grated cheese to throw on top and warm
flour tortillas alongside.
(I also have a couple of "secret ingredients" that I use to add variety
in addition to everything mentioned above, but they're not essential.)
Recipe #2 - "Chili Feed Green" - hot
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6-8 lb. pork, same idea as the beef in the preceding recipe.
2-3 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Brown meat in a little oil, add onion and garlic, saute until onion is
transparent. Now, depending on just what you're after, add a large can of
tomatoes (2 lb. or so) or a large can of tomatillos, chopped. I prefer the
tomatillos. Their flavor goes better with the other tastes here; they don't
overwhelm the color; they don't get mushy as fast when they cook. Now:
4-5 poblanos (preferably) or bell peppers - some chopped, some in
strips
2-3 lb. canned mild chiles, some chopped/diced, some in strips
<1 lb. canned jalapenos, diced
few oz. serranos, diced, if available; otherwise make up with jalapenos
Mix up everything and season:
2 T. cumin, ground
2 T. mild chili powder
1 t. oregano
2 t. cayenne
1/4 t. clove (be careful)
salt, to taste
Finish up as with the red. You'll almost certainly have to thin this one.
Water or a not-very-assertive beer will do.
Serve with cheese and tortillas as with the red. The number of people this
will serve varies quite a bit, but 15 is a good guess.
NOTES:
Apologies for using "English" (sic) rather than metric measures, and for
the inability to put a ~ over the n in jalapeno.
Vegetarian chili is possible. Leave out meat, put in beans, increase
onion a bit, add various vegetables for taste/texture, but be
sure that crisp ones cook enough to soften up. Try celery,
carrots, etc...
One of the important points is to give enough time for the chili to cook
properly. It shouldn't cook on very high heat. I usually start a
batch the night before the party. It cools down overnight, then I
fire it up again early afternoon (~13:00) to serve in the evening
(~20:30).
If you want a more gravy-like sauce to the chili (I usually do), thicken
the red with flour, the green with cornstarch. Thicken near the
end of cooking, of course.
The reason that some of the peppers are chopped and some are left in long
strips is to get a variation in texture. You may want to wait
until the last our of cooking to add the strips, so that they don't
mush up.
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{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd