Nov 23 2014
Over 35 plus years cooking I have fixed a lot of pots of chili, using a lot of different recipes and eaten a lot of different chili. I am from the North so my chili has to have beans in it. I prefer pinto beans over the more popular kidney beans and to me canned are just as good as using dried and less work. My favorite brand of beans are Bush’s.
For meat I have used ground chuck, ground round, a mix of ground beef and sausage, sirloin and round steak and smoked pork. My favorite is to use ground round 90-10 mix and leave the fat in for a better taste.
I have made my own tomato and chili sauce for good chili but that is a lot of work preparing. This recipe is easy to make up and to me about the best tasting chili I have made. I call it quick but it still takes about 4 hours; one hour to cook the meat and get it all together and 3 hours to simmer. I think any chili needs to simmer at least 3 hours to meld all the flavors. I have to keep my chili on the mild side for the wife otherwise I would have to eat the whole pot! I usually add some hot sauce to mine at the table.
It was on the mild side today, shirt sleeve weather, not really chili weather but it still tasted good. While my chili was simmering I sat out enjoying the weather and some beer. I swept up some leaves from my patio and picked up my dogs poo.
You will note I only used a half bottle of beer in my chili; you always want to use half bottles in your recipes. ½, 1 ½ or 2 ½ so you always have a half bottle left for the cook!
I served up the chili with some shredded cheddar and sour cream for topping. My wife and I both like some buttered saltine crackers with our chili. She goes a little light on the butter compared to me! I had some of my Cajun crackers left to have with mine. It tasted great and my wife said some of my best chili!
Smokin Don
Recipe
Good Quick Chili
1 ½ to 2 lbs. ground round
1 medium sweet onion chopped
Garlic to taste
Some green pepper chopped
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. med. hot chili powder or to taste
3 Tbs. regular chili powder
2 14 oz. cans Hunts seasoned tomato sauce for chili
1 16 oz. can of beef broth
½ bottle good dark beer
1 14 oz. can of pinto beans
1 14 oz. can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 Tbs. yellow mustard
1 Tbs. smoked paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Water for thinning if needed
Brown meat in a large pot in a little olive oil until most of the pink is gone. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook on medium until meat is browned and onions are soft. Add the seasonings and cook several minutes stirring. Add the ½ bottle of beer.
Add the two cans of tomato sauce the beef broth and bay leaf. Bring it to a slow boil then turn to low heat Simmer on low for two hours; I put some parchment paper on top to cover.
Taste for seasoning and correct if needed. Add in the beans. Tbs. of yellow mustard and bring back to a slow simmer and cover with parchment paper; simmer for 1 to 2 hours. About 15 minutes before serving stir in the smoked paprika if using.
Serve with shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream for on top. I like buttered saltines to have with mine.
Note: I used a scant Tbs. of med. hot chili powder and it came out mild hot to me. You can always add heat at the table. For the smoked paprika I added 1 good tsp. with the other seasonings and another good tsp. about 15 minutes before serving.
My wife likes thick chili & I like thinner; this comes out about right for both of us. I liked using the parchment paper so it didn’t boil down and I think it helps meld all the flavors in. You could just partially cover but then you get moisture dripping on your stove.
I like using the ground round 90-10 mix and leave the fat in for better taste.
