My Chili - A Work in Progress
Chili is personal, they are all different in some way and yet the same; this is my favorite way to build a chili that eats as well on day one as it does later in the week when you reheat it. I always make enough to eat on that day and then have leftovers for several lunches.
Chili is personal, they are all different in some way and yet the same; this is my favorite way to build a chili that eats as well on day one as it does later in the week when you reheat it. I always make enough to eat on that day and then have leftovers for several lunches.
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 whole red bell pepper diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper diced
- 1 whole yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic whole, roasted, then smashed
- 1 can chipotle chili in adobo sauce seperate peppers from sauce
- 4 teaspoons peanut oil
- 1 pound ground beef chili/stew grind, if availible
- 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt
- 8 slices bacon precooked
- 1 can roasted, diced tomatos
- 1 can chickpeas(garbonzo beans) drained
- 1 can beans dealers choice; drained
- Carbohydrate 12.379722818924 g
- Cholesterol 57.4801620451544 mg
- Fat 23.6627475596337 g
- Fiber 1.29464584076762 g
- Protein 15.1102839906757 g
- Saturated Fat 7.93863014930377 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (165g)
- Sodium 607.849716992205 mg
- Sugar 11.0850769781563 g
- Trans Fat 2.80916860002752 g
- Calories 320 calories
Step-by-step
- Prep all vegetables ahead of time, this will make it go quicker. The veggies can be trimmed and cut in anyway, it really only maters to you, I prefer a large dice on everything, with a couple exceptions. Dice up the onions and bell peppers. Roast and smash the garlic cloves; roast in a 400° oven while everything else is being prepped, roast for 15 min. Separate the chipotle chilis from the adobo sauce and mince the peppers, save both.
- Oil a large pot with 2 teaspoons of peanut oil, brown the ground beef in the pot over medium heat. Any meet (or none) can be used, I have built this with ground turkey, chicken, lamb, bison and venison; and all came out just great. Ultimately, I prefer good old beef.
- As the beef browns, add the chili powder, ground cumin and paprika, mix well. Once brown, remove from pot and set aside.
- Add 2 more teaspoons of peanut oil to the pot, then add the bell peppers, onions, black pepper and smoked sea salt to the pot.
- Crumble the precooked bacon into the pot. Add the chipotle peppers and garlic to the pot. Mix well and continue to cook over medium heat for 2-3 min, just to open them up. Add the ground beef back to the pot.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes, fill that can with water and add to the pot. Add the Drained chickpeas(I used to use corn here, to each his own) and drained beans(I use Texas red beans)
- Cover and simmer for 15 min, check occasionally and stir. You can continue to simmer till it reaches the thickness you like, or add cornbread mix(small amounts at a time) to thicken faster, or water to thin it out if desired.
- Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, yogurt or serve nude; your choice.
- I always serve mine with fresh cornbread, just get the jiffy mix and make as instructed. This can bake while you simmer.
Roasting the garlic cloves at four hundred degrees for fifteen minutes transforms their harsh bite into a mellow, sweet paste before they enter the pot. This thermal step breaks down cell walls to release sugars that blend seamlessly into the sauce. Ground beef works well, but ground turkey, bison, or lamb substitute directly weight-for-weight without altering the foundational spice ratios. Peanut oil provides a high smoke point necessary for properly browning meat without burning the residual fond.
Allowing the finished chili to rest overnight fundamentally improves its depth as starches hydrate fully and proteins relax. Storing the pot in airtight glass containers protects the flavor profile from absorbing refrigerator odors during storage. Reheating requires low, gentle heat on the stovetop to prevent scorching the bottom dairy or bean solids while thermal energy penetrates the center. Adding a splash of water during the reheat restores lost moisture if evaporation thickens the sauce too much.
Baking fresh cornbread concurrently with the simmering phase utilizes oven space efficiently while the pot cooks on the burner. The sweet, crumbly texture of the bread provides a necessary contrast to the spicy, smoky heat of chipotle peppers. Serving the meal alongside dairy elements like sour cream or yogurt cuts through rich animal fats effectively.
Proper thermal management during the initial simmer dictates whether the vegetables retain texture or turn mushy. Covering the pot traps steam to accelerate bean softening while maintaining control over the final reduction level. Uncovering the pot during the last five minutes allows excess liquid to escape rapidly if the sauce appears too thin.
