Home-Ground Chili
March 31st, 2014 · No Comments · Posted in Recipes
Somewhere under the queso fresco, the cilantro and the eggs is chili we made from scratch using beef we ground in our electric meat grinder. If you have a chest freezer, this is a great way to use chuck roast or other cuts you already have on hand.
I made this chili free-hand with chili powder out of the pantry, but of course it’s best if you have a source for authentic dried chili pods. Simply remove the stems and seeds, cook until soft and turn into a sauce with canned tomatoes in the blender. It’s important, though, to press the sauce through a sieve or chinois to remove bits of tough skin. For a large batch of chili using four pounds of meat, I also add just one canned chipotle chili–or chili en adobo–and find that gives the sauce plenty enough heat.
Where the meat is concerned, I mix beef and pork in a ratio of three parts to one, respectively. Simply brown the meat in batches, if necessary, in a big, heavy pot. Drain in a colander to remove fat and water, then brown 1 large onion, diced small, in the same pot with with some bacon grease. When the onion begins to soften, stir in a couple of chopped cloves of garlic. Add the meat back to the pot along with your chili sauce. Stir in some diced tomatoes, dried oregano and beans if you like. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook very slowly for about three hours.
To thicken the chili and for a more Southwestern tilt, you can also add masa harina—nixtamalized corn flour—to the stew. There are any number of variations that include cumin, jalapenos, lime. You’ll want to serve your favorite skillet corn bread on the side.
My favorite parts is the leftover chili for breakfast, topped with eggs and all the trimmings.
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