Chili Redux

Morgan and I became chili scientists when every chili kit on the planet was recalled due to peanut allergy fears. Suddenly, our go-to dinner shortcut was gone, and we were left with no choice but to experiment. And experiment we did—about 30 batches later, we had the perfect chili. When the kits finally returned, they only made our creation even better. 

Ingredients

  • ½ lb Ground veal 

  • ½ lb Ground pork 

  • 1 lb 85% lean ground chuck 

  • (some stores will grind these meats together)

  • Wick Fowler’s chili kit 

  • 1 Can of San Marzano whole tomatoes in puree 

  • 1-2 Cloves of garlic - minced

  • 1 Medium red and 1 medium yellow onion diced

  • 1-2 Shallots diced

  • ⅓ Yellow bell pepper-diced

  • ⅓ Green bell pepper -diced

  • ½ Cup of sweet white corn 

  • 4 Tbsp butter + 4 tbs neutral vegetable oil (Not olive oil) ½ for meat ½ for vegetables

  • 1 Bottle of amber beer 

  • 1 Cup good quality unsalted chicken/beef stock (beef stock is more bitter)

  • 1-3 Tbsp veal demi glaze

  • Squirt of tomato paste (maybe)

  • Separately 1 cup kidney beans/black beans 

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Note: if you use olive oil and too much garlic, it will taste Italian

Note: if you chop the vegetables in a food processor, they get “fluffy/wet and don’t sauté as well

Toppings and accoutrement:

  • Shredded Mexican 4 cheeses  

  • Sour cream

  • Chopped green onions

  • Pickled jalapeño peppers

  • Rice

  • Hot crusty bread

  • Fresh corn Bread and butter

Note: Some people dislike beans in their chili, some people dislike corn or bell peppers. I make the base chili, sauté the peppers and corn together, warm up the beans, and people add what they want. I will say If you put green, yellow bell peppers and corn in the chili it makes for a pretty tricolor chili.

Directions

Cook the vegetables and the beef concurrently

Note: you need a chili pot and a frying pan (I start the beef cooking first)

Vegetables

  1. Chop the vegetables

  2. Melt the butter and add the vegetable oil to the chili pot 

  3. Add the vegetables

  4. Sauté until slightly brown 5-10 mins: Yellow and red onion diced, shallots and minced garlic (add garlic last)

Meat

Separately in a largish frying pan

  1. Melt the butter and add the vegetable oil

  2. Brown: beef chuck, veal and pork 

  3. Brown the meat – (it’s not cooked if it is gray and soggy) break meat into 1-inch pieces, then ½ pieces – no large chunks

  4. When meat is browned add it to vegetables in the chili pot 

  5. Add one 1 bottle of amber beer-cook it down until most is absorbed

Note: If you don’t cook the beer down the chili will be bitter 

  1. Add spices in chili kit – (I add the dehydrated the onions from the chili kit for the hell of it)

Note:1/2 pack of red pepper is pretty spicy, the whole package is very spicy (toss the masa flour)

  1. Add one large can of tomatoes 

    1. Cut off ends (hole/stems/eyes) 

    2. Hand blend, with an immersion blender roughly (or not, if you like chunks of tomato) 

  2. Add ½ of the tomato juice/puree left in the can 

  3. Add 2 tbs veal demi-glace 

  4. Add ½ cup of chicken stock ( you can add more as you go)

    1. Stir frequently

    2. Scrap bottom

  5. Bring to a slow boil, then simmer until oil rises to the top, about 1 hour, you can let it cook longer and it will taste better

  6. Add salt and pepper to taste

 

Note: Chili flavor should be a pretty good balance between tomato and beef flavor. 

Adjustments: 

  • If it tastes too much like tomatoes, add veal demi-glaze. 

  • If it tastes too beefy add the rest of the can of tomato purée and then the tomato paste if desperate. 

  • If it’s too weak or watery, you can either cook it down, and/or add both veal demi-glaze + tomato paste. 

  • If it’s too thick/rich, add water not stock

Add to pot, or serve on the side if desired:

  • Lightly sautéed corn, diced yellow and green peppers – they should be crisp

  • Warmed kidney beans/black beans (or both)

Serve with:

  • Shredded Mexican 4 cheeses  

  • Sour cream

  • Chopped green onions

  • Pickled jalapeño peppers

  • Rice

  • Crusty bread

  • Corn Bread