The secret to making the perfect chili fit for a king
Every fall, my thoughts turn to making chili. The garden is nearing completion. The freezer is full of vegetables. All the canning is done and winter is coming. Just before winter sets in, the price of beef drops as ranchers sell remaining stock that they don’t want to “overwinter.” It’s the perfect time to fill the freezer with homemade chili.
There’s nothing better than coming home at the end of a cold winter’s day, chilled to the bone, and sitting down to a bowl of piping hot chili and steaming black coffee. It is more than food for the body. It is truly a consolation worth remembering.
By itself, chili is absolutely delicious. As a side to grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, or toasted BLTs, it’s out of this world. But there’s a fabulous meal I call “chili fit for a king” that’s even better. It is a kitchen masterpiece.
There are two big secrets to making the “perfect chili fit for a king.” One is in process and the other is in service. The first secret is to understand the word “perfect.” More people disagree about what makes a good chili than any other dish. Some think that hotter is better. Others say softer. Some like it brothy. Others like it thick. And that is the secret of this recipe. When you’re done, you’ll have 3-4 gallons of chili that’s perfect FOR YOU…not me. Yes, I said 3-4 gallons. When frozen in quart containers, you’ll have 12-16 wonderful meals that can be served in a matter of minutes. Simply remove it from the bowl, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how you like it), turn on the burner, put in the coffee, and start the grilled garlic cheese sandwiches. Your family will be eating in about 20 minutes.
To get started, you’ll need at least a 16-quart pot. I use the same 20 quart pot normally used for canning just to make sure I have a big enough pot. And you will need the following ingredients.
5 pounds. mince
5 family size cans (40 1/2 oz.) dark red kidney beans (drained)
1 institutional size can (6 lb 9 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
3 large bell peppers (washed, cored, and seeded) preferably mixed colors
3 medium to large onions (about the size of an orange…peeled and washed)
2 to 4 TBS (tablespoons) of ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons (teaspoons) to 1 TBS of crushed red bell pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons of salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup chili powder
grated sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped chives (fresh or dried)
Open the tomatoes and carefully pour out all the contents in the pot. Making sure to keep your hand submerged below the liquid line, reach for the whole tomatoes one at a time. Poke a hole in them with your thumb, then squeeze the tomato until the pieces are crushed between your fingers. CAVEAT. If you don’t poke a hole in the tomato before you mash it, I promise you and your kitchen will get tomato juice. The same happens if you crush them with your hands on the liquid. Continue crushing the tomato pieces until they are the size you prefer.
Chop all bell peppers into dime-sized pieces and divide into two equal portions. Put one half in a bowl and the other in the pot with the tomatoes. Do the same with the onions, placing half in the pot and the other half in the same container as the peppers.
Add the drained kidney beans to the pot.
Add 2 TBS (tablespoons) of ground black pepper.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons (teaspoons) of crushed red bell pepper.
Add 1 TBS of salt.
Add 1/4 cup chili powder.
Take a strong spoon and mix all the ingredients well. Place the pot on the stove and turn the burner to the LOWEST position possible to bring the water to a boil. At this point you may feel that the chili is too thick. If you’re not sure, the best way to tell is if the chili is too hard to stir. If so, add water to the pot until it is the consistency you prefer. Stir again. Cover the jar. (Note: If you add more than two glasses of water, you may want to substitute tomato juice for a portion.)
From now on own, two things are very important. Always keep the chili at the consistency you want by adding water when needed. So that when the chili is ready, the consistency is perfect. It is equally important to stir the pot every 5-10 minutes. When you are cooking that much chili at once, it is possible that it will burn on the bottom while the chili on top is still cold. Stirring keeps the chili evenly hot from top to bottom.
Take a large skillet and press enough ground chuck into the pan to cover the bottom with a layer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Salt and pepper the meat and then top with a handful of the chopped onions and bell peppers from the bowl. Cover and cook with the burner set about one level higher than the pot. Your goal is to partially cook the ground beef, onions, and peppers. Check the meat every 5 minutes until it begins to toughen. When the meat is firm and starting to change color on the bottom, take a sturdy spatula (the kind used for flipping burgers) and use the edge to start cutting the meat into pie-shaped pieces. Flip the pieces over to the opposite side, cover and continue cooking. When the other side begins to harden, using the edge of the spatula, cut the burger into whatever size pieces you prefer (Again, I prefer mine about the size of a dime). Continue flipping the smaller pieces until they have flipped all the way out and are firm. Remove the skillet from the burner and transfer the meat to the pot with a slotted spoon. Allow all the fat to drip off the spoon before putting the meat in the pot. Remove the fat from the pan and repeat until you have used all the ground beef. When finished, place the remaining chopped peppers and onions in the pot. Again, any time you add meat to the pot, adjust the consistency with water if needed.
Now, everything is in the pot and has the perfect consistency. Now, it’s time to adjust the spices. If you haven’t been, you need to start trying chili. If you want a stronger chili flavor, add more chili powder, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. To make it spicier, add black pepper 1 TBS at a time. If you want more flavor, add crushed red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon at a time. If you need salt, add salt 1/2 TBS at a time. Stir well whenever the flavor changes and continue to cook for at least 5-15 minutes before tasting again. ALWAYS pour pot well before tasting. Keep altering the flavor until it’s perfect for you.
Remember half the raw onions and bell peppers that were added directly to the pot? They will tell you when the chili is done. When the raw onions in the pot begin to lighten, turn off the burner. Don’t overcook the bell peppers and onions as they add a wonderful sweet and crunchy texture to the chili. If you can stand it, let the chili sit covered for about an hour to allow the flavors to mature and mingle. Stir and serve. If you prefer, reheat a portion of the chili in a smaller pot and serve boiling. Let the remaining chili sit in the original pot until cool enough to place in containers and freeze.
There you go. perfect chili. Just how you like it.
The second secret that makes the perfect chili fit for a king is in the portion. While the perfect chili is in a category all its own, it can be wonderfully enhanced by making it a meal that rewards all your tastes and senses. Hot, cold, sweet, spicy, strong, flat…something for every aspect of your culinary palette.
With that in mind, let’s plan the meal. For starters, ditch the regular salad and add something with more flavor and contrast. To achieve this, there is nothing better than a frozen fruit platter served with sparkling chili. For the fruit plate, you will need the following ingredients.
1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks
1 29 oz. can of peach halves (preferably thick syrup)
1 29 oz. can pear halves (preferably in heavy syrup)
16 oz. jar of red maraschino cherries
16 oz. jar of green maraschino cherries
1 small jar spiced crab apple rings
crispy cold lettuce
Jack cheese with jalapeño pepper
Put all the ingredients in the bottom of the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (48 hours would be better).
Just before serving time, remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and drain all the fruit. Divide the pear and peach halves evenly among six salad plates topped with a bed of crisp, cold lettuce. Fill around the fruit halves with pineapple chunks and crabapple slices. Spread chilled red and green maraschino cherries evenly over all fruit plates and top outside edge of each plate with bite-sized nuggets of jalapeno pepper jack cheese.
Fill bowls with chili right from the bubbling pot. Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Finish with a light layer of chives. Serve the fruit platter and chili with hot buttered garlic bread wedges and sweet iced tea. For dessert, follow with pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, or warm blueberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream… served with steaming cups of strong black coffee. Oh! Me!
The perfect chili can be more than just “home cooked” cooking that sticks to the ribs. It can be a culinary masterpiece that produces flavors and sensations so delicious that they complement and contrast that it is literally “Fit for a King.”
Bon Appetite!
Copyright 2004 by John Foutz All Rights Reserved
