One thing I like about the cool weather coming in is the chance to make chili again. (I suppose I could make chili in the summer, but it doesn't feel right somehow.)
I've been fooling with a chili recipe for a few years now, and I finally have it how I like it...minimal work, maximum yield. Throw it in the crock pot and get at least three meals out of it.
It also works without meat as a vegetarian chili; that is actually the way I make it most often now.
Brown about a pound of ground meat...beef, turkey, pork, a mixture. Drain the meat and retain a small amount of the grease.
Or, if you want to go vegetarian, use a little olive oil in a frying pan.
Cook a chopped onion and two cloves of chopped garlic in the grease or olive oil. When the onion is soft, pour a few ounces of beer in the pan. Add the meat back in, if you're using meat.
It doesn't matter what kind of beer, although I wouldn't use anything too sweet. I'd say a "full-bodied ale" would be best.
Simmer the onions, garlic, and meat in the beer for a few minutes.
While that simmers, drain a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans. Dump the beans and a 28-ounce can of undrained tomatoes (crushed are good. If you use whole tomatoes, break them up.) into a heavy pot (or Crock-Pot), then add the onion, garlic, meat, and beer.
If you aren't using meat, drain and add another can or two of beans. I usually go for variety...maybe a can of pintos and a can of navy beans.
Season to taste with Super Secret Chili Spice Mix and cook over low heat (or on low in the crockpot) for an hour or more.
Serve over spaghetti, topped with chopped raw onion, chopped fresh tomato, cheddar cheese, and maybe a little sour cream if you were too heavy-handed with the Super Secret Chili Spice. (That stuff sneaks up on ya.)
Leftovers make a good lunch wrapped in a tortilla, and very small amounts of leftovers can even be used as an omlette filling.
Posted by Nic at October 7, 2003 02:56 PM | TrackBackPeople think I'm nuts for using beer in my beef stew recipe, but it just gives it the right...zing? maybe?
Anyway, I was all ready to copy the recipe until I got to the Super Secret Chili Spice Mix.....is that recipe posted elsewhere on your blog? (If it's not, you are an evil, evil woman to get my taste buds all raring to go and then taunting me with Secret Ingredients!)
Posted by: Susie at October 9, 2003 04:56 PMWeeeeell...I typed the chili post up at work, so I didn't have my notes (this chili recipe took awhile to develop, so instead of a recipe I have what looks like a lab notebook on it). Then I thought, I might be able to win a chili cookoff someday, should I publish all the tricks? Then I thought, does anybody actually read this closely enough to notice the missing critical ingredients?
So maybe I was being just a little evil. Or is evil an absolute?
Anyway, Susie, I'll post the Super Secret Chili Spice mix this weekend.
Posted by: nic at October 10, 2003 07:42 AMYay! Thank you...I promise I won't enter any Chili cook-offs with your recipe....
Posted by: Susie at October 10, 2003 11:08 PMYou aren't from Texas, are you?
Silly girl - everyone knows you don't put beans in real chili
Just kidding - put any damn thing you want in there, it's your recipe afterall!
By the way, I want to have an on-line chili cook-off after I finish by Blogger Cocktail Recipe Contest. I'll put yuo on the list to contact when I'm ready!
Posted by: The Bartender at October 14, 2003 06:47 PM