It's Chili

It is getting cold in the evenings, so it is soup and chili time.  I thought I would share a good chili recipe with you today.  You can take what ever you like or add more ingredients to make it your own.  Beef is expensive so if you want to replace the beef with ground turkey, that works well too.

Chili Con Carne

2 Tbsp red chili powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

3-4 Tbsp water

4 strips bacon

2 pound chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Salt

1 medium white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 14 oz. can whole tomatoes

2 1/2 cups water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

14 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed or bean of your choice

Salt

Grated cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)

In a small bowl mix the chili powder and other herbs. Mix in water so that chili forms a light paste. Set aside.

Chop bacon and cook the bacon in a large skillet on medium high heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel. Pour bacon fat from the pan into a separate container, reserve.

Increase heat to medium high, add back in 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Working in batches so that you don't crowd the beef (crowding will steam cook the meat instead of browning it), brown the beef cubes on all sides, lightly salting as you cook the beef. Remove beef from pan, set aside.

Add another tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the chili paste and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

  

Into a 6 quart Dutch oven, put onion chili mixture, beef, bacon, tomatoes (break up the whole tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pot), water, lime juice and sugar. Heat the chili on medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to low.

Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Then uncover and cook for another half hour, keeping the temperature at a place where you can maintain a simmer.

Gently mix in the drained and rinsed kidney beans or chili beans. Add salt to taste. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice, you may need a little more sugar to bring the stew to balance. At this point you can also add a little more chili powder if you desire more heat.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.  The chips make a nice garnish also. 

I don’t know about you, but I have to have a large glass of milk with my chili.  They go hand in hand.  The same applies to tomato soup.  I wonder if that is common to many?

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.