Today and tomorrow are “Hot Heads Chili Days” (by whose declaration, I’m not sure). In honor of this tasty winter holiday, I’m posting my chili recipe. I should note that the original mix recipe calls for regular, all-purpose wheat flour. I have been making it, for years, with 100% whole wheat flour. Now that I’m supposed to be eating gluten-free, I obviously have to make it with something other than wheat flour, and bean flour works great.
Chili Mix
Chili Mix
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 c. bean flour
- 3/4 c. onion flakes
- 3 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 Tbsp. salt (I use sea salt.)
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 1 Tbsp. sugar*
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix well and store in an airtight container.
Notes
This will make 10 batches of chili.
Chili
Chili
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. chili mix (See above.)
- 1 lb. ground beef browned
- 15-16 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 can kidney or chili beans with liquid (The chili beans will make it hotter.)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil in a saucepan.
- Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Notes
In theory, this makes 4 servings, but if you're not serving it with rice or something, it probably won't make 4 good-size servings.
White Chili
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. chili mix above
- 1 c. diced cooked chicken
- 2 c. chicken broth
- 1 can white beans with liquid (I usually use cannellini, but navy, Great Northern, etc. will also work.)
- 1 Tbsp. flour (whatever flour you used in your mix - the broth is thinner than tomato sauce, so it needs a little extra thickening; alternatively, you could try omitting the water.)
- 1/2 c. water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil in a saucepan.
- Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Notes
In theory, this makes 4 servings, but if you're not serving it with rice or something, it probably won't make 4 good-size servings.
*(Although we usually try to avoid white sugar, in favor of more natural sweeteners, I have no qualms about using sugar when it’s a small amount for seasoning like this. This comes out to less than a teaspoon of sugar per pot of chili.)
I, too, don’t have a specific rcpiee, but I’ve made chilli for years and have a few suggestions:1. Searing the meat- I agree with John, very important to dry the meat well with a paper towel before searing. Seasoning the meat beyond salt and pepper probably isn’t necessary (add seasonings to the liquid later and let the meat absorb flavor during braising).2. Chiles – First, after removing stems and seeds etc. toast the chiles, this adds a ton of flavor; easiest way is to place chiles in a very hot, dry (no oil), cast iron pan. Heat until chiles just start to smoke (but not charred), should take a few minutes, then rehydrate as usual. Second, I’d be careful using the chile water when blending the chiles – depending on your chiles, this water can be very bitter, and if you’re not careful, the chilli will end up being bitter too. I normally blend the chiles with water or stock, and keep the chile water in reserve to add later if needed. Third – use a lot of chiles, I use 10-20 anchos or new mexicans to make 5 qts of chile. Also, it’s not really necessary to blend the onions/garlic/peppers into the paste; you can chop those up and cook them in the same pan you used to sear the beef.3. Seasonings in addition to chile powder and cumin, you can add other spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove), chocolate or coffee. Add carefully, you don’t want to go overboard, but a little can really deepen the flavor.4. Thickening beurre manie like John describes will work, but make sure to cook for a long time to remove the uncooked flour taste. alternatively, make a 50/50 slurry of masa harina (or corn starch) and braising liquid, add back into pot and mix well.5. A 3-hour braise is adequate to soften the meat and meld the flavors. A 6-hour braise is even better, and an overnight braise (in a dutch oven, in an oven set to 200-250 F; alternatively, you can use a crockpot) is ideal.