Chili - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with one of my favorites, Chili. Here are six yummy chili recipes to help you through the day, including Texas-Style Chili and Easy Classic Chili. Enjoy!

FIREHOUSE CHILI GUMBO

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “This recipe is adapted from the one that a Louisiana firefighter named Jeremy Chauvin entered into a national cook-off run by Hormel Foods in 2017, and that took home the prize for America’s Best Firehouse Chili. It is not really a chili in the Texas sense of the word. There is a roux at its base — it’s more like a chili gumbo, a bayou take on the original red. Serve with grated cheese and corn chips. Chauvin told me he was moved to enter the chili contest as a way to honor his brother Spencer, also a firefighter, who was killed in the line of duty in 2016. ‘I just want people to remember his sacrifice,’ he said.”

Yield: Serves 8 to 10; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in “This Is the Best Firehouse Chili” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Chili:

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed

3 pounds ground beef, ideally coarse-ground

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons steak sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes

For the Gumbo:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 medium shallots, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

3 ribs celery, trimmed and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 6-ounce cans tomato paste

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 to 2 cups tomato juice

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste

Preparation

Make the chili. Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the beef, stirring often, until it has begun to brown at the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a bowl.

Pour off excess fat, turn heat down to medium and return the browned beef to the skillet or pot. Add salt, peppers, chile powder, turmeric, oregano and cumin, and stir to combine. Add steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, and stir again. Cover the skillet or pot, and cook, stirring a few times, for 15 minutes or so.

Make the gumbo. Place a large pot with a heavy bottom over medium heat, and put the butter and oil into it. When the butter is melted and foaming, sprinkle the flour into the pan, and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add the onion, shallots, bell peppers, celery and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have started to soften, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the chili gumbo. Add the beef mixture to the pot with the vegetables along with the tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and ketchup, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, then add apple-cider vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Take the pot off the heat, and serve, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to cure. Heat before serving.

SLOW COOKER SWEET AND SPICY CHILI

This recipe is from Kellie Hemmerly on TODAY’s, and begins, “This Sweet and Spicy Chili is made in the slow cooker for deep, concentrated flavor. The BEST chili recipe around, I use a secret ingredient to create a sweet-tart background to this slightly spicy recipe.”

Kellie’s website, The Suburban Soapbox, looks pretty cool; I recommend checking it out!

Anyway, to view this recipe online, click here.

Servings: 1 cup; Yield: 10-12 servings; Prep Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 4 hr

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef (I used 80-20)

1 large onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 large jalapeno peppers, minced (remove the seeds and veins for less heat...leave them for more heat)

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

6 ounce jar of chopped sweet peppers and juice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 - 28 ounce can tomato sauce

1 - 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef until no longer pink and transfer to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat and add the onions to the pan. Cook the onions over med-high heat until they begin to soften. Add the peppers to the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers, cooking for one minute longer. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker with the beef.

Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, sweet peppers and juice to the beef mixture and stir to combine. Add the brown sugar, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes stirring thoroughly to be sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings, we love greek yogurt, sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, and pickled jalapenos...just to name a few.

HEARTY TURKEY CHILI

This comes from GE Appliances and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

2-15oz. cans chili-ready beans in chili gravy

1-12oz bottle beer (can use non-alcoholic)

1-14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (chili ready)

1/2 c. chili sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

In a large saucepan, brown turkey and onion over medium/high heat until turkey is no longer pink and onions are tender.

Add meat to slow cooker.

Stir in undrained beans, beer, undrained tomatoes, chili sauce, chili powder, Cajun seasoning and garlic salt.

Cook in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.

CHEF'S NOTES:

If you are in a hurry, you can add the ingredients to a Dutch oven, cover and cook on stovetop over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Flavors will not develop as fully, but dinner is done much quicker!

TEXAS-STYLE CHILI

This is from Juila Moskin in The New York Times cooking email. Julia wrote, “Calling a dish ‘Texas Chili,’ especially if you’re not a native of that state, is clearly asking for trouble. But this recipe, refined over years of potlucks and Super Bowl parties, is too good to keep under wraps. Its depth of flavor, from different chile types, makes this recipe stand out. It also has whole spices, unsweetened chocolate and dark beer that meld seamlessly into a brick-red sauce that naps the succulent meat. The meat can be cut into large chunks, or, more traditionally, thin slices, especially if you are using a tougher cut than chuck. Sirloin also makes good chili. If you have masa harina, the corn flour used to make tortillas, that will make the gravy even thicker, but it is not necessary. Like many vigorously spiced dishes, this one tastes even better a day or two after it is made and will hold its flavor well for at least a week.”

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 2 hours.

This was featured in “Texas Chili Makes a Welcome Guest” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

4 pounds beef chuck roast or steak

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped, plus extra chopped onion for serving

6 large garlic cloves, minced

4 to 7 large fresh green jalapeños (depending on how much heat you like), stemmed, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons masa harina or 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces (optional)

2 tablespoons ground pure chile powder, such as pasilla, Chimayo or ancho

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 (12-ounce) bottle Negra Modelo beer

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, or 3 10-ounce cans Ro-Tel canned tomatoes with green chiles

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

3 whole dried large red chiles, such as New Mexico or guajillo

Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Fritos or warmed flour tortillas, for serving

Preparation

In a small heavy skillet, toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. In a mortar and pestle, or in a coffee grinder, grind to a powder and set aside.

Meanwhile, roughly cut beef into 2-inch cubes, or slice it against the grain into pieces about 1/4-inch thick by 1 1/2 inches square. Sprinkle with salt.

In a large, heavy pot over high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the meat, turning occasionally until crusty. Adjust heat to prevent scorching. As it is cooked, remove the meat to drain on paper towels. Add more oil as needed for browning, but do not clean out the pot.

To the empty but crusty pot, add onion, garlic, jalapeños, masa harina or tortilla (if using), chile powder, cumin-coriander powder and oregano. Cook, stirring, until onion has softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add meat, beer, tomatoes, chocolate, whole dried chiles and 1 quart water. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Remove the dried chiles. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate. The chili tastes best one or two days after it is made.

Reheat over low heat if necessary and serve in bowls, sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Add Fritos for crunch, or dip tortillas into the spicy gravy.

VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH TORTILLA CRISPS

This is from Anna Watson Carl on Delish. Anna wrote, “Those homemade tortilla chips, though…”

Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 corn tortillas

1/4 c. Country Crock Original

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and brush all over with Country Crock Original. Bake until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through, about 6 minutes, then season with salt. Once cool, break each into pieces.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons Country Crock Original in pot over medium-high heat, and cook onion and peppers until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook 2 minutes more, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and juices, crushing tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon.

Add beans to pot along with 2 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in cilantro.

Ladle chili into 4 bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with crispy tortillas.

EASY CLASSIC CHILI

This is from Paula Deen Magazine, and begins, “This Easy Classic Chili is a delicious mixture of slow-cooked ground chuck, tomatoes, kidney beans, sweet onions, and bell peppers. Complete this meal by serving it with a side of cornbread or crackers.”

Makes 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds ground chuck

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped sweet onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (1.75-ounce) packet chili seasoning

Toppings: shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned and crumbly; drain well.

In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and seasoning until well combined. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with toppings.