Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site digi-g.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!digi-g!jel From: jel@digi-g.UUCP (John Lind) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: How do YOU cook chili? Message-ID: <307@digi-g.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Oct-84 14:25:29 EDT Article-I.D.: digi-g.307 Posted: Fri Oct 12 14:25:29 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Oct-84 05:31:26 EDT Organization: DigiGraphic Systems Corp., Mpls. MN Lines: 59 Hmmm. In my opinion, chili MEANS a spiced bean dish, and we have to denote the kind containing beef by saying chili con carne (with beef). In fact, I prefer "con carne" because of the beef fat for frying the spices, and I use some beef in my chili, but it is definately not the feature item. I will post my recipe. Whether or not anyone uses it, I think there will be points of interest. Ingredients: 2 lbs dried red kidney beans 1 lb pinto beans 1 lb lentils 2 LARGE onions 2 cloves garlic 1 to 2 lb ground beef. 1 12oz can tomato paste 1 16oz can tomato sauce or whole tomatoes 1/2 c or more chili powder OR cumin, whole chili peppers, oregano. Wash beans and soak overnight. If you aren't used to soaking beans, make sure that you start out with more than twice the depth of water as of beans. If you notice any of the beans starting to "peak out" from the water, add more. Transfer the beans to a 5qt or larger container. Add or drain off water until the beans are not quite covered. Add a little "cooking salt". Bring the beans to a boil, and keep them cooking quietly for 20 minutes or more. While the beans are cooking, chop up LOTS of onions -- 2 big ones or more. Also peel and crush or mince two cloves of garlic. Brown the ground beef, onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. When the beans have cooked the prescribed amount of time, add the paste and sauce or chopped whole tomatoes. Also add the browned beef, onions, and garlic, but retain the drippings. Now, fry the 1/2 cup of chili powder carefully until it darkens. If it starts to smoke, stop right away. Frying spices is a little tricky, since they do not sizzle and bubble proportional to the temperature. If you like you chili a little more peppy, add one or two chopped dried chili peppers to the frying spice. If you have a well stocked spice cupboard, you can skip the chili powder and use the raw ingredients from which it is made. I use 1/2 cup or more (who measures? I like SIGNIFICANT chili) cumin, and 5 or more chopped dried chili peppers, and 1/8 cup or more crushed oregano leaves. Add the spices to the rest of the mixture and stir carefully (if you are using a 5qt container, it will now be FULL). You may now transfer the whole works to a 6qt crock for slow cooking (if you have an "auto-shift" cooker, use that setting, else cook on high for one hour and then on low for several), or to a roasting pan or large covered baking dish to bake (I haven't tried that myself -- experiment since cooking time is not critical except to cook in all those flavors) or leave it in your pan (if it is large enough) and cook for 1 hour, or two, or three, or whatever. This recipe gets quite thick, and if you are going to cook it on top of the stove, it will require stirring every 15 minutes or so. Some of my roomates have rather more delicate mouths, so I typically split the recipe before adding too many whole chilis. I used to leave the larger batch mild, but now it is the smaller which remains tame. True taste will out :-) ------ John Lind, DSC, 10273 Yellow Circle Drive, Mpls MN 55343 mail : { ihnp4!umn-cs, stolaf!umn-cs, umn-cme }!digi-g!jel USnail: Starfire Consulting Services, PO Box 13001, Minneapolis, MN 55414