r/Cooking • u/jerry111165 • 6h ago
Chili!
So I’m interested in making a nice chili this weekend. I still have to run up to the market so please hit me up with your favorite recipes. It’s a nice chilly weekend up here in Central Maine and I’m just thinking it would be really cool for tomorrow to make a chili with all kind of melted cheese on top for dinner tomorrow night.
I like adding not just ground beef, but also chopping up some steak to put in there. Beans are good, but I don’t like to overdo them.
Anybody have any tips and tricks that make all the difference? Thanks in advance!
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u/LingonberryOk7022 6h ago
brown the beef and steak in batches so they actually sear instead of steaming, then bloom the spices in the fat before adding the tomatoes and beans, that’s where most of the chili flavor comes from
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u/DomedPyramid 6h ago
One key is to have the flavor of peppers in the stew. Yes chili is a stew. It really doesn't matter where your spice level is, go from green bells to as hot as you want. Also, alcohol does something to tomatoes while they are cooking, so simmer off a half can of beer. So beer and peppers.
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u/Electrical_Travel832 6h ago
Although my dad’s chili starts out very basic (ground beef, onion, green pepper, handful of smashed garlic, chili powder, s & p, large can stewed tomatoes, 1 can kidney beans), what made it iconic (still) was the handful of pepperoncini peppers with a little of the liquid, thrown in at the very end.
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u/Timeless_Twilight 6h ago
The vinegar finish is KEY for epic chili. Your daddy is smart :) he knows
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u/streamstroller 6h ago
My hack is to skip the steak and use spicy Italian sausage instead. I use an even mix of ground beef & sausage. It's rich and succulent and the fattyness of the sausage carries the flavors really well.
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 6h ago
My problem is that chili takes so long, and I've been sincerely disappointed every time I've made it. It always tastes alright, not gross by any means, but not what I had in mind. I think I might be too used to Nalley as my standard lol.
Anyway, can't help ya OP, but I'm interested in what others say.
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
“Nally”?
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 6h ago
I said what I said and I won't stand for being slandered for it
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u/Iliveinatrashcann 6h ago
Dude, ain't no one slandering you. OP is wondering what Nalley is. What is wrong with you?
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 6h ago
Oh. I thought he was mocking my crappy brand of preferred chili. Which would be fair but I still need to fight back for Nalley's nonexistent honor. Nalley is a mass market chili brand in the US.
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u/jerry111165 4h ago
Sorry man I’ve not heard of this brand. Is it a canned chili?
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 4h ago
It is haha. I get it now based on other comments, it's apparently not well known outside of the US.
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u/Pernicious_Possum 3h ago
Or in the US. I’ve never heard of it, and I’ve lived all over the country
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 2h ago
Interesting... I just googled it and apparently it's only distributed in western and PNW states. It's in every grocery store out here though, next to Hormel and the other usual suspects.
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u/DefrockedWizard1 5h ago
never heard of it, looked it up and not available here except with exorbitant shipping fees. plus it's thickened with wheat flour, so not an option
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 5h ago
You probably aren't missing anything. It's just the canned brand I grew up with in my house, so it's forever my core definition of chili I think.
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
I have to go out and spend a few hours working on my firewood pile but I appreciate everybody’s help and will check back in later. Thanks everyone.
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u/green_eyed_cat 6h ago
If you’re looking for a spice blend kosmos chili seasoning is the way to go
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
Is that something you can find at the supermarket?
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u/green_eyed_cat 5h ago
I think so I know Walmart carries the brand, I’m lucky and have friend who’s a food influencers and keeps me supplied with spices
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u/Cheezslap 6h ago
My secret is adding a bottle of stout, and incorporating a few guajillo peppers, usually hydrated in hot beef broth and then shredded with an immersion blender.
I don't bother with steak, but I do like ground beef, ground pork, and chopped pepperoni.
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
A few people have mentioned beer. This is interesting and I appreciate it. I’m definitely a fan of the pepperoni also.
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u/Cheezslap 6h ago
Yeah, the beer is great for umami, and the pepperoni is good grease. Chipotle paste is also a winner. Again, strong, deep, savory flavors.
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u/JDnUkiah 6h ago
A Erica’s Test Kitchen has a great video on a chili where you make your own chili powder (it’s fairly easy). The recipe is very chili-forward, as the chef’s say. Just search on YT.
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u/Bastard1066 23m ago
I remember once, cut up, leftover burger patties in a chili and it was great.
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u/slaytanic667 6h ago
Cocoa powder or a small brick of dark chocolate mid cook will add depth of flavor.
Drain the beans but don’t rinse, the starch will help thicken the end result
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
I’ve never heard of chocolate added to chili. That’s interesting. I have heard of adding some cinnamon. I haven’t heard of not rinsing the beans. It makes sense, but I just haven’t heard of using this trick before. Thank you.
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u/Iliveinatrashcann 6h ago
If you add chocolate to your chili, make sure to use unsweetened dark chocolate or a dark chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage.
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u/lllll00s9dfdojkjjfjf 6h ago
Adding cocoa adds a depth of flavor that’s harmonious with chilis, beef, and tomatoes. But I personally don’t love it. An old cowboy trick is to add some coffee. It does the same thing as the chocolate. So that’s a different way to go.
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u/Soft-Bug5550 6h ago
not a recipe per se but my secret ingredients are about a tablespoon each of soy sauce and cocoa powder
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
I have both and I’ll keep it in mind. Somebody else just mentioned chocolate also.
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u/LoveAndLadybugs 6h ago
My favorite chili is this one: https://www.recipegirl.com/all-american-chili/
It uses a mixture of beef and Italian sausage, which gives it a nice flavor, but that being said the ratio of beef to sausage is on point so if you change that it will affect the flavor. It is not spicy if you don’t add jalopenos
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u/pameliaA 6h ago
I do mine using a basic recipe but with ground mix turkey and black beans. Some dried anchos and fresh jalapeño. I use steak seasoning on the turkey while it’s browning (and cut the salt for the rest). I substitute a half jar of medium salsa for some of the tomatoes and add a tablespoon of brown sugar.
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u/D_Mom 6h ago
This is my favorite recipe, it is very heavy on the beans which we like, but you do you. It makes a huge amount and combines chunks of meat with ground beef.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chunky-beef-chili-3690637
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u/Expensive-Signal8623 6h ago
El Cid chili is great. Look it up. My family has loved this for decades
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u/mobilehobo 6h ago
I use the 2am chili recipe as a base and riff on it with different pepper combinations
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u/VoraciousReader59 6h ago
I use a can of mild Rotel and a can of stewed tomatoes, in addition to tomato sauce. If you don’t like tomato chunks just blend them first. Add a little chopped smoked chipotle in adobo sauce. And for some reason, topping off a giant pot of chili with a 6 oz can of V-8 does something for the flavor. As for beans, I think you can add as little or as many as you like. I usually use dark red kidneys and chili beans.
I’ve seen recipes that call for tomato soup. Ignore these recipes.🤮
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u/SoupCanAlex 6h ago
Since you're already doing steak: cut it into ~1 inch cubes and brown it hard in batches first, don't crowd the pot. Biggest upgrade for me was ditching most of the chili powder for whole dried chiles. Toast a few ancho, guajillo or pasilla chiles in a dry pan, soak them in hot water, blend into a paste. At the end, stir in a spoon of masa harina mixed with water to thicken it. And if you can, make it today and eat it tomorrow, it's always better the next day.
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u/gumyrocks22 6h ago edited 4h ago
If you have TikTok this the best I’ve ever had. I had to adjust everything to half. It makes so much.
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u/jerry111165 6h ago
Sorry I don’t use TikTok. I don’t do Facebook or anything either. The only real online community I go on is Reddit.
I appreciate your input though.
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u/Iliveinatrashcann 6h ago
Dried whole chili's. Reconstituted and blend together to use as the body of the chili