This is the chili that I have put together over time and with multiple attempts. Please try it, tell me what you think, and any substitutions you have made or would make.
1 red onion
1 bulb of Garlic
2 lbs of ground meat (I like 1 lb 20% fat beef and 1 lb buffalo)
1 lbs of high fat cubed meat (I like beef suet)
1 large can of peeled and diced tomatoes with juice (I get the roasted kind)
2 bottles of dark beer (Stronger is better, don’t be cheap)
2 cups of strong brewed coffee (Stronger is better)
1 12 oz can of tomato paste
3-4 tomatoes cut nicely
1 16 oz can of low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar (Semi-optional, it adds a BBQ flavor)
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of coriander
2 tablespoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or other spicy pepper)
Salt to taste
6 fresh peppers (3 different types)
3 large cans of beans (3 different types)
some flour
Brown all the meats. Put the meat in a different pot with beer, allowing to cook on low for 5-15 min or as long as the next step.
Sweat onions on low with a heavy pinch of salt. Add in garlic once onions are mostly done, to allow them some time to sweat. Put onion and garlic in pot with meat and beer.
Cut up fresh tomatoes; add in can of tomatoes, including juice. Add all the other ingredients, dumping out all other liquids from cans. Allow to heat up over at least an hour, more time is better. Add flour as needed to thicken.
Instead of canned beans use dry beans and slow cook all day. The taste and texture of dried beans cooked so, is far superior to canned plus you won’t need a thickener.
Don’t forget tortillas or corn bread for the side
Crock pots are not expensive anymore. Put it together in the morning and walk away. If you don’t know how to figure out how much dry beans to use, get a small inexpensive bag of pintos and soak a cup worth overnight in water, it will give you an idea how much to actually use. Dry beans expand alot. My first chili was basically cement. I was 18 and well ,I never fully paid attention to maternal instruction.
I my second attempt at baked beans was my biggest failure. I think I made the acid levels too high, because I boiled them 60% of the way there, then added them to the sauce, but then never cooked through. The sauce was amazing, but the beans where hard as rocks no matter how long I cooked them. The only thing I noted was that I had put more apple cider vinegar than I had before. The first batch had worked, but I always make changes as I go and I added more vinegar the second time around. Although it is a weak acid, it is still an acid… Damn that sauce was good though.
Try tossing in two or three smoked hamhocks into your chili next time, the meat and taste goes well with chili. It softens up enough after an hour or two so that you can remove the bones. If you do crockpot method remove the bones just at the end. The marrow and bones add a bit of flavor to it all.
As a thumb rule, if you put anything sour, cooking time would increase manytimes, even with common things like potatos.
Beans should not be cooked directly otherwise they will take too much time to cook.
The easiest way is to soak them in lukewarm water with some salt for 12 hours.
Even after that, they need about 45 min in the pressure cooker to be cooked properly.
Secondly, beans need three time more water than their own volume.
So my chemistry degree tells me. I keep asking for proof, but I find the arguments flimsy.
mmmm That sounds good.
I usually put in three different kinds, as the receipt says. Black is one of my favorites. I also like great northern white and navy. I never put in pinto if I can avoid it.
I’ll try spicy breakfast sausage next time, that sounds good.
Sanjay, I must disagree about beans. The only reason to presoak them is if you cannot monitor the cooking or do not have a crockpot or slow cooker. Presoaked beans do not have the superior flavor or texture that slow cooked beans have and if soaking I would omit the salt, it adds an undesirable flavor or potential for too much salty flavoring, plain water is best. If you know what you are doing adding the recipe’s spices to the soaking water can enhance the beans.
Presoaking has nothing to do with monitoring. Its only reason is reduce the cooking time.
And, it is done not only with beans but all hard things those take a lot of time in cooking like chickpeas (both of brown and white). You have to presoake even the black lentels (whole, not crushed) otherwise they will not cook properely either.
Secondly, only a very little quantity of salt is required while presoaking so that does not have any impact on the taste. That also use to be done to increase the softening process. The same is applicable to lukewarm water also. Though, you can avioid both if you want.
You need not to monitor anything while pressure cooking, if you have some experience. My wife never does. With experience, one can know the cooking time of diferent things.
As far as i know, brown chickpeas take the maximum time; 12 hours of presoaking and about 75 min of pressure cooking.
I guess its a matter of preference. Where I grew up slow cooking was done. I do prefer the taste and texture. Two day soups, stew and chili are normal or were back when I was growing up. My family still prefers it when I put such food together. My husband and son help to monitor the food all day or two day. Its all preference.
It also may have something to do with communal activity. A family project, aside from actual taste and textures the enjoyment of family or friends working together for a meal time adds a spice to it.
As a thumb rule, i agree with you that the slower you cook, the tastier it would be.
And, my congratulations for having such a good family.
May things would be the same for you, ever.
Thank you but, I also included cooking with friends. A weekend feast with friends is a must every so often in the Southwest of USA. Slow cooking over a Mesquite fire and in the kitchen, tents pitched, a lot of food and drink just to celebrate friends. Games are a big part too. You need to try this type of celebration. It does not have to be a big group, a small group or few is often the best.
