Conquer Club

So, I like making chilli con carne. These are the things that I have learned:

Good advice:

Adding a bit of cinnamon
Adding some squares of dark chocolate
Adding a splash of red wine vinegar

Bad advice:

Adding coffee, especially instant coffee
Listening to Texans on making "real" chilli
Underestimating the power of a chilli pepper based on its size

Anyone else have any tips on making a good chilli?

I only use my homemade tomato/veggie sauce that has a bit of a kick as the base. Been perfecting the recipe for 20+ years ;o) Want me to send ya some?

I like to use high end ground beef (wagyu, etc...wife gets it cheap at work) and jimmy dean sausage with a nice mix of various beans.

Know several people that have elaborate recipes that include all kinds of meat, seafood and bizarre shit. Gets overpowered IMHO.

KoolBak wrote:I only use my homemade tomato/veggie sauce that has a bit of a kick as the base. Been perfecting the recipe for 20+ years ;o) Want me to send ya some?

I like to use high end ground beef (wagyu, etc...wife gets it cheap at work) and jimmy dean sausage with a nice mix of various beans.

Know several people that have elaborate recipes that include all kinds of meat, seafood and bizarre shit. Gets overpowered IMHO.

Adding sausage to the beef is delicious. I prefer kidney beans, but adding other beans is a good choice. I grow my own tomatoes and it's a must in any good chili.

Please, no sea critters in chili.

Bernie Sanders wrote:

KoolBak wrote:I only use my homemade tomato/veggie sauce that has a bit of a kick as the base. Been perfecting the recipe for 20+ years ;o) Want me to send ya some?

I like to use high end ground beef (wagyu, etc...wife gets it cheap at work) and jimmy dean sausage with a nice mix of various beans.

Know several people that have elaborate recipes that include all kinds of meat, seafood and bizarre shit. Gets overpowered IMHO.

Adding sausage to the beef is delicious. I prefer kidney beans, but adding other beans is a good choice. I grow my own tomatoes and it's a must in any good chili.

Please, no sea critters in chili.

Actually, adding a couple of anchovies isn't a terrible idea. They dissolve completely, and add a nice bit of salt. NOTE: make sure nobody who's eating it is allergic to seafood...

Silly Brits....

I guess I'm a Brit now...

damn.

I rarely eat chili con carne, but when I do it's with rice. Is it a crime?

Maxleod wrote:I rarely eat chili con carne, but when I do it's with rice. Is it a crime?

It's only a crime if you cook the rice in the chili. (Makes the rice soggy).

As long as you cook the rice separately (so it remains al dente) and pour the chili over top, that's normal.

Dukasaur wrote:

Maxleod wrote:I rarely eat chili con carne, but when I do it's with rice. Is it a crime?

It's only a crime if you cook the rice in the chili. (Makes the rice soggy).

As long as you cook the rice separately (so it remains al dente) and pour the chili over top, that's normal.

Agreed.

KoolBak wrote:Silly Brits....

Try it.
Not a Brit thing. It was suggested to me by a Mexican.

A canook bro is the one that puts scallops and all kind shoit in his Old dog, well, you get it.

Big dish for locals in hawaii is Chili-mac....chili mixed with mac n cheese. I'm all over that...hell, even the Chef likes it!!



....like the rice idea too.

I'm also in favour of adding other beans to a chili- I find white canellini work best in addition to kidney beans.

Rice or jacket potato for me with chili though. Sym's recipe for perfect jacket potatoes:

1) Poke some holes in the potato with a fork and microwave them wrapped in paper towels for 4 minutes or so. After two minutes, turn them over.
2) Rub them with olive oil and heavily salt them, plus whatever else you like on crispy potato skins- I usually add pepper and smoked paprika
3) Put a metal skewer through them (it seems to help conduct heat to the centre of the potato)
4) Put in oven.

Microwaving is less a tip, but it reduces the time in the oven. Make sure you're using a decent floury potato though- Maris piper or King Edward in the UK work well.

Roast some of the peppers before adding to enhance the natural flavor, but add some raw too for enhanced spice as roasting will tone down the spice level.

Depending on what peppers are available to you, sweeter types like new mexico 'green chillis', anahiem chillis, and pablanos are great for roasting. Then add jalapenos or spider peppers raw for the spice kick.

mookiemcgee wrote:Roast some of the peppers before adding to enhance the natural flavor, but add some raw too for enhanced spice as roasting will tone down the spice level.

Depending on what peppers are available to you, sweeter types like new mexico 'green chillis', anahiem chillis, and pablanos are great for roasting. Then add jalapenos or spider peppers raw for the spice kick.

That sounds excellent. I usually add some chipotle flakes, but that sounds much better.

My veggie sauce I mentioned always has some varieties of peppers from our garden. Planted over 20 this year with several new types.

Sym, I make baked potatos all the time just to have as well as eat fresh baked, as they make excellent base for hashbrowns, cubed, waffles, whatever. I do not micro; just rub with a combo of garlic and basil or rosemary olive oils (son manages this store while he's waiting to graduate from his school https://www.oilerie.com/beaverton.html?Affiliate=beaverton - I've turned into a total olive oil snob....lmao) and rub with a combo of spices, bake at 400 til right. Skin is the best damn part.

KoolBak wrote:My veggie sauce I mentioned always has some varieties of peppers from our garden. Planted over 20 this year with several new types.

Sym, I make baked potatos all the time just to have as well as eat fresh baked, as they make excellent base for hashbrowns, cubed, waffles, whatever. I do not micro; just rub with a combo of garlic and basil or rosemary olive oils (son manages this store while he's waiting to graduate from his school https://www.oilerie.com/beaverton.html?Affiliate=beaverton - I've turned into a total olive oil snob....lmao) and rub with a combo of spices, bake at 400 til right. Skin is the best damn part.

Just to be clear- you bake them and then make hashbrowns and other stuff out of them?

I'm with you on the oil- other oils are better for other things, but you want olive oil to burn off and stick the coating.

Yes, I will bake about 10...eat x number hot with fam and refrigerate the rest. Then, shred them for hashbrowns, cube them to fry with say polish sausage, smash then up to use in waffle iron, slice to bake as chips, etc

jonesthecurl wrote:Actually, adding a couple of anchovies isn't a terrible idea. They dissolve completely, and add a nice bit of salt. NOTE: make sure nobody who's eating it is allergic to seafood...

Or you could just Worcestershire sauce. Never thought of it in chili as it tends to take the spice in a different direction.

tzor wrote:

jonesthecurl wrote:Actually, adding a couple of anchovies isn't a terrible idea. They dissolve completely, and add a nice bit of salt. NOTE: make sure nobody who's eating it is allergic to seafood...

Or you could just Worcestershire sauce. Never thought of it in chili as it tends to take the spice in a different direction.

Yes, that's good too. Just a few drops.

I think the most important thing in the chili con carne is the "carne" ... the meat.

Now if I was still an active hunter, I would suggest venison (although if that doe keeps knocking the seed out of my bird feeder I might just hunt her down with my bare hands).

But since I have a farm nearby, Bison is a good alternative. The bison restaurant has a great bison chili.

Does the Bison restaurant have a website?

2dimes wrote:Does the Bison restaurant have a website?

But of course ... Tweeds Restaurant and Buffalo Bar

Bison Chili
Served with Cheddar, Tomatoes, Onions, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Warm Tortillas

Bison steak is excellent!

That place looks incredible, I'm guessing I can't afford to go there.