Okay, beans aside, it’s hard to hurt chili. I’m an expert, I’ve been perfecting my recipe for decades.
Brown some ground beef and ground pork. Add a bunch of herbs - garlic, cayenne, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, etc. You can add thyme, rosemary, basil, if you want. The Most important one is Cumin. That’s the flavor of Chili, it simply isn’t chili without it.
Add a big can or two of diced or crushed tomatoes, depending on how tomatoey you want it, and if you like big chunks of tomatoes, or just a sauce. You can even start with while canned tomatoes, and crush them with your bare hands. It’s fun.
This is where I’d put in a bunch of cans of at least 3 kinds of beans, usually kidney, black, and pink, but red beans work good, too. Throw them all in, drained and rinsed first. I like it beany, and the starch from the beans is what thickens up the sauce, eventually.
Now the secret stuff: Take a small glass of COLD red wine, and whisk a couple of heaping tablespoons of flour, and at least one tablespoon of cocoa powder. Once they are whisked well, with no lumps, dump it in. This will thicken it, and give it a rich molé tinge. Put enough water in it to cover the meat/beans.
Other interesting experiments: soy sauce (good in a lot of stuff), worstershire sauce, and even your favorite hot sauce or BBQ sauce. Occasionally, I like Tabasco chipotle, and soy sauce.
Bring it to a boil, let it simmer for a while, lid on, then crack the lid, and let it reduce over a couple of hours. Another big secret: near the end, take a taste, and you’ll love it. But add a generous splash of lime juice, stir it in, and tell me it doesn’t miraculously smooth it out.
Veggies: I hate onions and green peppers, so I NEVER add them, and I think it’s better for it. OTOH, I love putting chopped up red, yellow, or orange peppers. Put them in early so they have time to tenderize. Also, chopped spinach is great, it breaks up into tiny herb-like bits and releases lots of good nutrition. Near the end, I like to toss in frozen corn, all those bits in the bottom of the frozen corn bags in your freezer. I’ve also experimented with green beans. I don’t like big ones, but thise shredded French cut style are really good in Chili.
Serve it in a giant coffee mug, with cheddar cheese on top.
It will be even thicker and better tasting after it’s been reheated following a night in the fridge.
Add all those herbs, spices, veggies and beans, and you’ll have an incredibly nutritious, and filling meal. Make an enormous batch, and freeze a bunch of single serve containers. It reheats easily in the microwave.
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Okay, beans aside, it’s hard to hurt chili. I’m an expert, I’ve been perfecting my recipe for decades.
Brown some ground beef and ground pork. Add a bunch of herbs - garlic, cayenne, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, etc. You can add thyme, rosemary, basil, if you want. The Most important one is Cumin. That’s the flavor of Chili, it simply isn’t chili without it.
Add a big can or two of diced or crushed tomatoes, depending on how tomatoey you want it, and if you like big chunks of tomatoes, or just a sauce. You can even start with while canned tomatoes, and crush them with your bare hands. It’s fun.
This is where I’d put in a bunch of cans of at least 3 kinds of beans, usually kidney, black, and pink, but red beans work good, too. Throw them all in, drained and rinsed first. I like it beany, and the starch from the beans is what thickens up the sauce, eventually.
Now the secret stuff: Take a small glass of COLD red wine, and whisk a couple of heaping tablespoons of flour, and at least one tablespoon of cocoa powder. Once they are whisked well, with no lumps, dump it in. This will thicken it, and give it a rich molé tinge. Put enough water in it to cover the meat/beans.
Other interesting experiments: soy sauce (good in a lot of stuff), worstershire sauce, and even your favorite hot sauce or BBQ sauce. Occasionally, I like Tabasco chipotle, and soy sauce.
Bring it to a boil, let it simmer for a while, lid on, then crack the lid, and let it reduce over a couple of hours. Another big secret: near the end, take a taste, and you’ll love it. But add a generous splash of lime juice, stir it in, and tell me it doesn’t miraculously smooth it out.
Veggies: I hate onions and green peppers, so I NEVER add them, and I think it’s better for it. OTOH, I love putting chopped up red, yellow, or orange peppers. Put them in early so they have time to tenderize. Also, chopped spinach is great, it breaks up into tiny herb-like bits and releases lots of good nutrition. Near the end, I like to toss in frozen corn, all those bits in the bottom of the frozen corn bags in your freezer. I’ve also experimented with green beans. I don’t like big ones, but thise shredded French cut style are really good in Chili.
Serve it in a giant coffee mug, with cheddar cheese on top.
It will be even thicker and better tasting after it’s been reheated following a night in the fridge.
Add all those herbs, spices, veggies and beans, and you’ll have an incredibly nutritious, and filling meal. Make an enormous batch, and freeze a bunch of single serve containers. It reheats easily in the microwave. .
I’ma argue your bean selection. Kidneys are too rough. You want navy and pintos
Kidneys are the traditional bean for chili, but you can skip them if you want. Use pink beans instead. Or even white beens like canelini.