For those who appreciate hot and spicy this link is amusing:
http://www.conservativeoldhippie.com...chili-cookoff/
Rob’s Rules for Making Chili
Never make chili for anyone who asks if it is going to be too hot.
There is no such thing as too much garlic.
There is no such thing as too much chili powder.
There is no such thing as too much ground cumin.
Beans (never canned) and tomatoes (fresh or canned) are not a requirement for all chili recipes but are definitely acceptable.
(I know that is blasphemy to some of you folks from Texas, however, I must remind you that Texas was settled by folks who were run out of Georgia for various types of hooliganism and bad deportment. This is part of why.)
FarmerRob’s Georgia Style Chili
1 pound of dried Pinto beans not Kidney beans—Pintos bring a superior flavor
3 pounds ground beef—80/20
3 pounds stew meat or roast or steak cut into bite size pieces—large to allow for shrinkage in cooking—trimmed of large fat and gristle areas
2 large yellow onions, chopped chunky
1 large can of V-8 Juice
1—28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, chopped
1—15 ounce can of Hunt’s tomato sauce
30 jalapenos, fresh or pickled sliced
Gebhardt’s Chili Powder
Pendery’s Fort Worth Light Chili Powder
Ancho Chili Powder
Morita Chipotle Chili Powder
Rooster Spur Peppers, ground—to taste
Cayenne peppers, ground—to taste
Fresh Garlic, peeled and chopped fine, lots of it there is no such thing as too much garlic.
Ground Cumin seed, lots also. I have never been able to find out how much is too much of this. It adds a wonderful smoky flavor. (Add it to your burgers next time too.)
1 pinch of ground celery seed (optional)
If your local stores don’t carry the chili powders you can find them with your favorite search engine and order off the web. It is worth it.
Obviously you are going to adjust the pepper content to suit your taste. Frankly, I consider most recipes to be merely a guideline. But I also think it is prudent to make it the way it is written at least once and then modify to personal taste. I would recommend not leaving out the chili powders if you can.
The Rooster Spur peppers are something I grow but I don’t know of anyone who grows them commercially. They are somewhat well known to pepper lovers in the South but I don’t know if they can be found elsewhere around the country. They resemble the Tabasco pepper and some of the Thai peppers, so if you have access to either of those they could be your substitute. Rooster Spur peppers have a good flavor and searing heat. They probably won’t make you cry but they will certainly make you sweat and sniffle.
No canned beans allowed. For this size recipe use a pound of dried. Cover deeply with cold water and soak overnight OR rinse the dried beans and place in a 5 quart pot and bring to a boil. Keep an eye on this or you will mess it up. As soon as they come to a full boil drop to a simmer for TWO minutes (on the clock) and then cover and remove from heat and let sit for an hour. Then bring back to a full boil and again immediately drop to a simmer and let simmer for another hour. Check the simmer level every five minutes for the first fifteen minutes to be sure it is not too high. Beans should be tender after an hour. If you get the idea that continuing to cook them rather than let them sit for an hour will speed up the process you are WRONG. Doing that will take several hours to get the beans tender and will screw up the texture. If you are not going to stay on top of this process then do yourself a favor and just soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. That is mistake proof.
While the beans are getting ready you can prep the meat, chop the onions, and jalapenos and put them into a couple of 5 quart cooking pots—evenly divided. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and the onions and peppers are tender. Thoroughly drain the juices and fat from the pots. After draining as thoroughly as possible I like to take a few Bounty paper towels and go through this mixture patting out the last of it to be sure most the grease is gone. This will prevent your chili from having a grease layer floating on top when you are done.
As evenly as possible divide all ingredients when adding them to the cooking pots. When the beans are done add them to the meat mixture and then add all other ingredients and stir to mix well.
If you need any extra liquid add extra V-8 Juice, DO NOT use water. It is advisable to let things heat up thoroughly before deciding to add any extra liquid. If you rush it you can wind up with thin runny chili.
When you are adding the chili powder begin by adding about two ounces of each.
Over medium heat bring your chili up to a low bubbling simmer and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer with the lids on. You should stir your mixture regularly to insure that the heat is not too high. You DO NOT want to burn this at all. Scorched tomatoes or beans suck.
If you are having trouble with this part or just don’t want to chance it change over to large crock-pots and cook on low. I have used the crock pot approach many times and I find that it is almost impossible to screw up the cooking. It just take longer.
After simmering for 30 minutes it is time to add another couple ounces of each chili powder. Stir in thoroughly. You can add more of the peppers at this time also if needed. Repeat after another 30 minutes (and so on to taste.) Adding the chili powders in layers really improves the flavor.
One hour simmer is a minimum but it can go as long as needed to get the flavor balanced.
When the stew meat is tender you are ready to feast.
As with any stew it will improve after it has been chilled overnight, allowing the flavors to meld, and reheated the next day, but I always have to have a bowl or two as soon as it is done.
I like to serve this with jumbo Frito corn chips OR with crispy cornbread sticks OR my homemade garlic bread. I know many like to add shredded cheddar (or some other favorite type of) cheese but that just cuts down on the heat, which for me misses the point.
Thinking about this dish makes me wish for winter to get here sooner. It is a cold weather favorite of mine.
(not for me of course, ...for someone else, who requested hot chili). I warned everyone that my hot chili is a gift that burns 'twice'... once going in and once going...... well, you know!
