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djs0302
 
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Default 'Tis the Chili Season! (Literally)


Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Jim replied to kevnbro
>
> >> Inspired by Cook's Illustrated, I took their advice and purchased
> >> dried Ancho chili's and dried New Mexico chili's (found in many
> >> stores), put them on a cookie sheet and using low oven heat, slow
> >> roasted them until they were brittle enough to grind to a powder in a
> >> spice grinder (I use a Braun coffee/spice grinder).
> >> Using the homemade powder gave my chili a deep, dark extremely
> >> flavorful chili base that cannot be duplicated using commercial chili
> >> powder. Combine that with whole roasted cumin seed that is also ground,
> >> and you've the beginnings of not a good chili... but a great chili.
> >>
> >> So get out there an get chili!!

> >
> > So, can you post the recipe?

>
> Here's the Cook's Illustrated recipe, and it *is* very good:
>
> Cooks Illustrated Chili con Carne
>
> 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder or 3 medium pods (about 1/2 ounce), toasted
> and ground
> 3 tablespoons New Mexico chili powder or 3 medium pods (about 3/4 ounce),
> toasted and ground
> 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until
> fragrant, about 4 minutes, and ground
> 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
> 1/2 cup water
> 1 4-pound beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
> 2 teaspoons salt, plus extra for seasoning
> 8 ounces bacon (7 or 8 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
> 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
> 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
> 4-5 small jalapeño chile peppers, cored, seeded, and minced
> 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes or plain tomato sauce
> 2 tablespoons juice from 1 medium lime
> 5 tablespoons masa harina or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
> Ground black pepper
>
> 1. Mix chili powders, cumin, and oregano in small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup
> water to form thick paste; set aside. Toss beef cubes with salt; set aside.
>
> 2. Fry bacon in large, heavy soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-low heat
> until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with
> slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate, pour all but 2 teaspoons fat from
> pot into small bowl; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté meat in
> four batches until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch,
> adding additional 2 teaspoons bacon fat to pot as necessary. Reduce heat to
> medium, add 3 tablespoons bacon fat to now-empty pan. Add onion; sauté until
> softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté until fragrant,
> about 1 minute. Add chili paste; sauté until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
> reserved bacon and browned beef, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, lime
> juice, and 7 cups water; bring to simmer. Continue to cook at a steady
> simmer until meat is tender and juices are dark, rich, and starting to
> thicken, about 2 hours.
>
> 3. Mix masa harina with 2/3 cup water (or cornstarch with 3 tablespoons
> water) in a small bowl to form smooth paste. Increase heat to medium; stir
> in paste and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning
> generously with salt and ground black pepper. Serve immediately, or
> preferably, cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5
> days. Reheat before serving.
>
>
> SMOKY CHIPOTLE CHILI CON CARNE SERVES 6
>
> Grill-smoking the meat, a technique from food writers John and Matt Lewis
> Thorne, authors of the Serious Pig, in combination with chipotle chiles give
> this chili a distinct but not overwhelming smoky flavor. Make sure you
> start with a chuck roast that is at least three inches thick. The grilling
> is meant to flavor the meat by searing the surface and smoking it lightly,
> not to cook it.
>
> 1. To prepare meat: Puree 4 medium garlic cloves with two teaspoons salt.
> Rub intact chuck roast with puree, and sprinkle evenly with 2 to 3
> tablespoons New Mexico chili powder; cover and set aside. Meanwhile, build
> a hot fire. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for no
> more than 3 seconds, spread hot coals to area about the size of the roast.
> Open bottom grill vents, scatter one cup soaked mesquite or hickory wood
> chips over hot coals, and set grill rack in place. Grill roast over hot
> coals, opening lid vents three-quarters of the way and covering so that
> vents are opposite bottom vents to draw smoke through and around roast.
> Sear meat until all sides are dark and richly colored, about 12 minutes per
> side. Remove roast to bowl; when cool to the touch, trim and cut into
> 1-inch cubes, reserving juices.
>
> 2. For the chili: Follow recipe for chili con carne, omitting the browning
> of meat cubes and substituting 5 minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo
> sauce for jalapeños.
>
>
> To ensure the best chili flavor, I recommend toasting whole dried chiles and
> grinding them in a mini-chopper or spice-dedicated coffee grinder. For
> hotter chili boost the heat with a pinch of cayenne, a dash of hot pepper
> sauce, or crumbled pequin chiles near the end of cooking. Serve the chili
> with any of the following side dishes: warm pinto or kidney beans, corn
> bread or chips, corn tortillas or tamales, rice, biscuits, or just plain
> crackers, and top with any of the following garnishes: chopped fresh
> cilantro leaves, minced white onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or jack
> cheese, or sour cream.
>
>
> Bob


WHAT? No spaghetti? I always put a little spaghetti in chili.