I’ve been reluctant to make chili for this newsletter. That’s not because I think it’s low brow or too simple, or anything along those lines. It’s certainly not that I don’t love it – in all its forms. It’s that I didn’t really feel like the nearly compulsory 1990’s Pace salsa commercial voice “THAT’S NOT CHILI!” comments that offering a chili recipe inevitably yields.
It’s hard to imagine that anything so universally loved (and probably equally loathed) invokes such feelings. The truth is that the endless regional variations and even more endless (yes, I know that’s a mathematical impossibility, thanks) variations when it comes to family recipes, means that chili isn’t the same thing to everyone. Lines have been drawn. Lines in the sand, the corn fields, and along some big rivers in the middle not quite west somewhere near up there.
In college I was once served a ladle of something labeled chili that had lentils and green bell peppers in it and tasted strongly of that off brand ketchup your mom bought once when you were in Elementary school and you’ve never quite forgiven her for it. That’s about the only time I’ve understood the “THAT’S NOT CHILI!” (hereafter TNC for brevity) argument. But I guess even that probably was chili. It was bad chili – like epically bad keep telling yourself you like that sugar free carob hemp seed quinoa crunch bar bad. Very bad.
The TNC crowd likes to tell you about rules based on everything from actual competition rules (great if you’re actually competing) to those originating “in my very specific neighborhood/family/tradition/state/zip code we don’t do…” and they’re almost always “don’t” rules instead of do rules. Chocolate and cinnamon? Don’t. Beans? Don’t. Even tomato. Don’t.
But all of those are great if that’s what you like. If you like your chili to be a thick stew of braised meat swimming in a sauce spices and ground chilies … make that chili. If your favorite is a chunky tomato sauce with a lot of ground beef and onions, and just a trace of prepared chili powder? Make that chili. Chicken with some canned green chilies? Do it. If you want a mildly spicy meat sauce redolent with warm baking spice and even a hint of chocolate, and you want it ladled over pasta and topped with cheese and onions and (gasp) beans? Make that chili. You’ll probably want to specify that that last one is Cincinnati chili both to set expectation and to prevent any nearby TNCs from imploding.
Even that lentil stuff if that’s your thing. As long as it’s not that same batch from 1994 and as long as you don’t expect me to like it.
Triple Cornbread
When you don’t have cornmeal in the house, you get creative. Or desperate. But then when that creative desperation turns out well, you make it again. And again. And you tweak it and change it and it stops being an item of desperation and turns into something else altogether … or so I tell myself.
First, let me tell you, this doesn’t make normal cornbread. Masa Harina is usually used to make tamales, tortillas, and other delicious steamed, griddled, and fried things. It’s not normal cornmeal (it’s nixtamalized) and it’s not normally used in basic old Americanish cornbread. But that doesn’t mean you can’t. It has a ton of corn flavor, and in this recipe yields a fun almost fudgy consistency that’s great as a side (or a base) for a big bowl of chili.
What makes it “tripple” you might ask? Well, that nixtamalized masa harina is corn number one, corn number two is pureed sweet corn, and the third - the triple - is just corn. Little sweet chewy crispy bits of corn.
2 14.5 oz cans of sweet corn
1 cup masa harina
1 cup AP flour
2 large eggs
4 tbsp melted butter – divided
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Place a large cast iron skillet in the oven.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of masa harina, a cup of AP flour, 2 tsps of baking powder, and 1 tsp of kosher salt.
Add 1 can of corn, plus it’s liquid, to the container of a high speed blender and process until smooth.
Add 2 eggs, 2 tbsp of the melted butter, and the honey to the blender and process to combine.
Add the corn puree mixture, as well as the contents to the second can of corn to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the hot iron skillet, swirl to coat, then pour the batter into the pan.
Bake until browned on top, about 35 minutes.
Pickled Jalapenos
Yeah, you can buy ‘em in a jar. You can also make them at home – which is fun and easy and means you can make just a few if you want. Plus, you’ll know exactly what’s in them – because you put it there.
Why are they here in this newsletter? Because they’re fun to put on top of chili. No, really. That’s it.
2 cups loosely packed thinly sliced jalapeno peppers
1/3 cup white distilled vinegar
2/3 cup cold water
1 tsp kosher salt
Place the peppers in a non-reactive bowl, add the salt, turning to ensure even coverage.
Allow the peppers to rest, at room temperature, for one hour.
Pour off any liquid that’s been expressed.
Bring the vinegar and water to a boil.
Pour over the peppers.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 1 day before using.
Perfect Baked Potato
Why am I including a recipe for baked potatoes? I mean, you know how to make a baked potatoe, right? Everyone knows how. You either you know, bake it, or microwave it. That’s it. Right?
Also, isn’t this about chili?
To that first point: Yeah. I know. But trust me … this is a better way. This recipe … ok, it’s really more of a process or procedure … makes the (what I hope is) best baked potato you’ve ever had – crisp, flavorful, slightly salty skin with a pillowy interior that’s almost cotton candy light. It’s really that good. At least it will if you choose a good potato to start with. That’s sometimes harder than it should be.
As to the second point: A bowl of chili is great. A big ladle of chili over a perfectly baked potato loaded with all sorts of great things is even more better greater.
4 large russet potatoes
1 tbsp neutral oil or clarified butter
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 cups cold water
Scrub the potatoes under cold water, removing all dirt and grime.
Stir together the cold water and salt.
Immerse the potatoes in the brine.
Allow to rest at least 1 hour and up to three.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Place the potatoes, uncovered, on the middle rack of the oven.
After 10 minutes, or as soon as the skin of the potatoes looks dry, remove the potatoes and brush with oil.
Prick the potato with a fork – just one time – and return to the oven.
Cook until the outside of the potatoes are crisp, and the interior has reach 190-195°F – about 1hr 15m for large potatoes.
Cut open, add butter, and salt, and serve immediately.
Beef Chuck Chili With Beans
This is a simple chili in terms of flavor and preparation. No cinnamon, no chocolate, no over the top ingredients (if you don’t count real chilies as over the top.) Is it dump it all in the crock pot and take it to the potluck with foil on top simple? Probably not. Is it worth that little bit of extra effort? I assure you it is.
First of all, diced chuck roast -instead of ground beef – gives it an entirely different texture. I don’t have anything against ground beef. Really. But in chili, there’s something just extra good about small pieces of braise whole meat. It feels almost like a luxury item – which is funny if you consider that what we (at least in the part of the country I’m from) eat chili that’s probably more at home in the steam table behind a diner counter than … well, let’s just say it’s not a luxury item.
Secondly, this recipe calls for whole chilies that you’ll reconstitute in hot water and blend into a paste. At this point, you’ll be able to find whole dried chilies in most large groceries, but if you can’t they’re available at Latin American markets and online. Dried, reconstituted chiles give you a depth of flavor – and to be honest texture – that you’re not going to get otherwise. I use three different chilies here: Ancho (fully ripened, dried Poblano peppers) add a deep raisiny flavor (while adding almost no heat) and a deep dark maroon coloring; Guajillos add a sweet and fruity layer with a bit of spice; and finally Chipotle Meca (fully ripened, smoked, and dried jalapeños) add smoky sweetness and heat.
Some ground cumin, salt and pepper, a dash of Worcestershire sauce (for acid and umami) and that’s it. Then you pretty much just let low heat time do their work. Of course, like any chili recipe, you can customize it to your hearts content – before or after it’s done cooking.
And yes. It has beans in it.
2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes – or equivalent
2 cups boiling water
1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
1 cup beef or chicken stock
1 cup finely diced yellow or white onion
1 slice thick cut bacon
4 dried guajillo chilies
3 dried ancho chilies
2 dried chipotle meco chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp kosher salt - divided
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp ground black pepper
Soak the kidney beans overnight in 5 cups of cold water with 1 tsp kosher salt.
The next day, add the beans and their soaking liquid to a thick bottomed pan and set over a medium high flame.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the beans are just barely tender – about 30 - 45 minutes.
Drain the beans and discard the liquid.
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies and discard them.
Tear the chilies into small pieces.
Add the chilies to a heat proof bowl, and cover with 2 cups boiling water.
Allow the chilies to soak for 10 minutes.
Add the chilies and the soaking liquid to the container of a high-speed blender.
Process until smooth.
Add both cans of tomatoes, along with the liquid in the cans to the blender with the chili paste
Process until smooth.
Cut the bacon into a very small dice (see note below.)
Add the bacon to a large thick bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Once the bacon fat has rendered, and the bacon is beginning to brown but is not yet crisp, add the onion.
Cook the onion, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown.
Spoon the cooked onion out of the pan, setting it aside.
Increase the heat to high.
Working in small batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the diced beef along with a pinch of salt with each batch.
Cook without stirring until the beef is well browned.
Repeat until all the meat has been browned.
Return all the beef, along with the bacon and onions to the pan.
Add the remaining salt, the cumin, black pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce.
Add the chili/tomato puree to the pot and use the stock to rinse the puree from the blender container – adding that to the pot as well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Cook for 2 hours.
Add the drained beans.
Return to a simmer.
Cook uncovered stirring occasionally, until the meat is fall-apart tender, and the stew is reduced to a thick chili.
Taste for seasoning, add additional salt and pepper as necessary.
Optionally, if the chili needs additional acidity and heat, add up to ¼ cup of jalapeno pickling liquid (see above for recipe)
Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream – or all of that on top of a baked potato or a healthy pile of corn chips.
Note: If you can’t for health or religious reasons, or simply don’t want to include the bacon, you can omit it and substitute 2 tsp of neutral high temperature oil such as canola or soy. You may also want to add a single drop of liquid smoke as the bacon adds a slight additional smokiness that compliments the dried chilies.
Nice work Andrew! You put a lot of effort into that!