Mama's Chili
This is a staple at our house. It changes a bit each time I make it, so feel free to add or omit whatever you like.
This is a staple at our house. It changes a bit each time I make it, so feel free to add or omit whatever you like.
- pepper
- salt
- chili powder
- 1 can corn
- cayenne pepper
- 1 can black beans
- red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cans light red kidney beans drained
- 2 cans dark red kidney beans drained
- 1 can chili beans
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomato
- tabasco sauce
- shot bicardi
- Carbohydrate 14.5297643335941 g
- Cholesterol 25.596 mg
- Fat 3.26897800784174 g
- Fiber 4.16169912221306 g
- Protein 9.68652987460475 g
- Saturated Fat 0.84918781369909 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (158g)
- Sodium 146.114080809966 mg
- Sugar 10.368065211381 g
- Trans Fat 0.451723340352222 g
- Calories 124 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown the meat in a large pot.
- Season with garlic powder, itailian seasoning, onion powder, and a touch of cayenne.
- Stir in, chopped bell peppers and onions and cook until desired tenderness.
- Add beans, one can at a time, allowing time to heat before adding the next.
- Add corn, diced tomato and sauce.
- Let simmer on stove for 1-2 hrs.
- Season with red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce, and chili powder to taste.
- Add rum.
Chili powder acts as the principal flavor driver here, relying on ground dried chiles, cumin, garlic, and oregano to establish an earthy foundation. American chili traditions evolved from 19th-century frontier cookery, where tough cuts of beef or game were simmered long and slow with wild peppers and spices into thick stews. Adapting this heritage for ground turkey requires mindful fat management since lean poultry lacks the rendering power of traditional beef cuts. Browning the turkey properly in a large pot develops essential Maillard compounds, creating savory depth before any liquids are introduced.
Aromatic vegetables like bell peppers and onions undergo softening during the secondary sauté phase, releasing moisture that helps deglaze the pot while sweetening the overall profile. Spices including garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and cayenne adhere directly to the warm proteins of the meat during this initial stage, allowing fat-soluble flavor molecules to bloom thoroughly in the pan. Staggering the addition of canned beans one at a time prevents the pot's internal temperature from dropping too drastically, ensuring continuous and even heating throughout the dense mixture.
Simmering the contents uncovered for one to two hours permits excess water to evaporate, concentrating the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into a rich, cohesive sauce. Alcohol from the rum assists in extracting hydrophobic flavor compounds trapped within the chili powder and pepper flakes, while the heat of the stove volatilizes the ethanol away during the prolonged simmer. Adjusting heat levels at the end with Tabasco sauce and red pepper flakes allows capsaicin to distribute evenly through the suspension just before serving.
Dividing finished portions into airtight containers allows for safe refrigeration up to four days or freezing for several months. Freezing actually benefits deeply spiced stews because the structural integrity of beans and vegetables holds firm through the freezing process while flavor compounds meld further. Reheating individual portions thoroughly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit ensures food safety prior to consumption.
