In my last entry I said that the next recipe would be for homemade vegetable stock. Unfortunately, I have not gotten around to it due to work-related issues over the Holidays and New Year's. I do have it penciled in for one of my upcoming posts. So check back with me occasionally.
With that said, the rain season is finally upon us here in the SF Bay Area and that usually means tons of rain, higher winds and chilly temperatures. So I decided to make something that will fit these cold weather conditions, is nutritious and easy to make.
Chili con carne.
A lot of people say Chili con carne has its origins in the U.S. but the recipe itself dates back to 1519 A.D., during the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and the recipe's foundation actually came from the Aztecs and Cholulan Indians. The only difference was that the meat was not included at first. The Aztecs/Cholulan alliance, who was fighting Cortez to the teeth, planned to add it later...by using the flesh of Cortez' soldiers; after the defeat of his army.
Brutal, I know. So,...please stick with beef and do not attempt to recreate the original recipe from 1519!
A quick word about the ingredients. I know that most Chili con carne you encountered use kidney beans but I opted for white and black beans for this one. Why? Because it changes things up a bit and kidney beans can sometimes be a tad too mealy and dry, at least for my taste. But feel free to use whatever beans tickle your fancy or palate. I also included some smoked Chipotle chili powder, which adds a nice touch to the overall flavor. The amount of ingredients yields a nice cast-iron pot full of spicy, beefy, beany goodness...enough for a tailgating party, a whole family or just for yourself!
Here's the full list of things you'll need...
3-4 lbs of beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 strips of bacon, coarsely chopped
4 Garlic cloves, crushed, peeled and chopped
3 Bay leaves
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 qt of low-sodium beef stock
2 12oz cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 16oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, stem cut off and hand-crushed
1 Habanero pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 green Jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red Fresno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (red Jalapeno works fine, too)
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
For the chili paste we'll need:
5 Tbsp red chili powder
2-3 tsp of smoked chipotle powder
3 Tbsp of ground cumin
4 tsp of ground oregano
1 tsp of ground coriander
2 tsp of ground thyme
2 tsp of organic sugar (regular sugar is just fine)
the juice of one lime
a splash of chili hot sauce
5-6 Tbsp of water
First off, if a Habanero pepper is too spicy for you, just leave it out and replace it with another green Jalapeno.
We'll start of by trimming the meat of any excess fat and cutting it into small cubes, roughly 1/2-inch in size. Next, we'll chop up the onions, chili peppers, the bacon, crush and finely dice the garlic. Heat a large cast-iron pot or dutch oven over medium heat and render out the bacon. Once the bacon turns crispy, take it out and save some of the fat for the beef. Place the bacon into a small bowl and reserve.
Add 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat into the pot and sear the meat. It's best done when working in batches because the meat will lose some water. Brown it on all sides, then take out and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the rest of the bacon fat to the pot. Then toss in the chopped onions, chili peppers, garlic, some chopped cilantro (go by taste) and saute until the onions become translucent and the peppers fragrant, about 10 mins.
In the meantime, let's make the chili paste. Combine all the ingredients and then add water at a rate of one Tbsp at a time until you have a thick paste. Then add it to the onion/chile pepper combo as seen above and combine well. Saute for 5 more minutes.
It's time to add the liquid, beef stock, and all the other ingredients such as the crushed tomatoes, bacon and meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for about an hour and a half. After 30 minutes, you will see small puddles of oil floating on top. Skim that off and repeat after another 30 minutes, especially before adding the beans. Finally, add the beans and simmer for 15 more minutes. No more than that because you don't want the beans to turn into mush. If more fat is floating on top repeat the skimming procedure. There's no reason why it should go into your body. The meat should be extremely tender at the end of cooking.
Now taste the chili and season accordingly...maybe with a little more chili powder, salt, pepper or hot sauce. It's all up to your liking at this point.
Serve it in a bowl with a splash of sour cream and a slice of bread (for dunking) and a good Mexican beer or Margarita!
Enjoy and buen provecho!
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