Monday, October 17, 2011

Chili for the Chilly

Chili is good when it's cold. There's something instantly warming when hot spices hit the stomach, like jump-starting a furnace. I even put cayenne into my boots to keep my feet warm in the winter. Here's a simple quick chili con carne recipe, followed by my late brother's chili powder mix recipe that won 2nd place one year in the Denver Chili Cookoff.

(note- Chili heat is a personal taste; I like it hotter than most folks, so add 3 types of hot chilis to the powder I make. But most people like it milder.)

1 lb. good burger
1 onion, diced
1 16 oz. jar salsa (mild, medium or hot, to your liking- I use medium)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 16 oz cans beans (kidney, northern, black, etc.)
2 Tblsp-1/4 c. chili powder mix (according to your liking)
dash or more good hot sauce (again, to your heat liking)

Brown burger in large stewpot, add onion and cook until translucent.
Deglaze with salsa and stir well. Add all remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve with cornbread, shredded lettuce, chopped onion and sour cream.

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Snow Bear's Chili Powder
3 types hot chilis (jalapeno, ancho. guadajillo, etc.), ground fine in a mortar and pestle or food processor
Add:
paprika
garlic powder
cinnamon
coriander
cumin
turmeric
parsley
oregano
cayenne
- in roughly the same amounts (I use a tablespoon of each). Store in a tightly lidded glass jar. For a mild mix, eliminate the 3 hot chilis

5 comments:

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

We are chilli lovers here also. The first cold spell and out comes the chilli makings. We have made many different variations, but in the past 10 years or so, it has been a soy recipe. Two of my daughters are vegetarians, so we go with the flow. We always serve it at our Superbowl parties, and unless we tell people, no one knows the difference.

It has not gotten cold here yet, so we have not had our first chilli of the season, but I am looking forward to it.

Anonymous said...

Wow..that sousnds like really zippy stuff. I make what I like to call Can Can Chili. I used to make it nice and hot but since the old guys stomach has started to revolt I have to make it milder now. Rats.

Lisa said...

OMG! He left us the last of his chili mix and we've been out for years! D's going to love having this again. Just made taco soup yesterday, so the "Green Death" is a few weeks away :)

Austan said...

Arleen- I've cheated using Fantastic Foods' Sloppy Joe mix; it makes a good chili (add the other bits) and it's totally veggie!

Lawless- Yeah, I'm lucky I can do hot again. I couldn't for a few years.

Lisa- Wow, I wish I'd known! I could've given it to you 6 years ago!

CarrieBoo said...

Hotter the better! Salsa... never thought of that one. And home-made chili spice... YUM! I definitely have to do this one soon...