It’s chili night!
It’s chili night! That phrase brings many happy memories to me. Being one in a family of seven can make eating an issue. My mother learned early how to feed a hoard of kids cheaply. As a result her chili tended to be soupier than I like it now but it is still a happy memory. The first chili I made after leaving home was thick enough to stand a spoon in. I have also come to like a bit more spice in it than mom put in hers. She was making sure bellies were full and tomato juice and crackers are good for that. What she accomplished in flavor and content did serve its purpose. I think that it can be built on though.
Let’s consider what chili is. It is really a category all its own. Not really soup and not really stew. It lives in its own realm of existence having qualities of both. It can even be thought of and used as a sauce. Most everyone will agree to some of the main ingredients: ground meat (usually beef), onion, tomato and peppers. The name itself being derived from the chili peppers used to make it. Beans are the most common bone of contention in the realm of chili. Traditional chili is served over the beans. Most canned chili has this as the most abundant ingredient. In “olden days”, way before the microchip and industrial processing of food, the meat would have been beef chunks braised or boiled until tender with peppers and onions and served over those beans. Still sounds good to me.
Chili today is what it is and whether canned or fresh is still a cheaply made dish to feed many. For the health conscious it can be made to cater to nutritional ideals. For the culinarian it can be the epitome of textures and flavors brought to perfection. No matter who you are you have an opinion of chili and probably a favorite brand of canned or favored recipe. It is amazing because it can be adapted and altered so easily to fit needs as well. Consider this, you can take canned or fresh chili and add cheese to make a flavorful dip or sauce. Recipes can be altered to stretch the servings or add nutritional value. Take your favorite recipe and start looking at it to see the opportunities.
Let’s take a generic recipe and find some examples to help you along.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion diced
2 finely diced jalapenos (ribs and seeds removed)
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 16 oz can kidney beans (drained)
1 tbsp chili seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown the beef. Once most of the beef has browned lightly, add the onion and jalapenos and continue cooking. Once the meat is nicely browned and the onions are translucent add the tomatoes, beans and seasoning. Bring to a simmer, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Skim any oil from the surface.
I think we can all agree the result would be okay chili. Nothing to write home about but it would fill your belly. How do we make it better? We can start with seasonings. Cumin for earthiness, red pepper for more heat, garlic for depth and oregano for sweetness is just a short list of things you can add to make the flavor pop. Adding a rich beef or veal stock will bring out the flavor of the meat. Even deglazing the pan with a red wine can add a richness and depth of flavor to your chili. Roasting the onion and jalapenos before dicing can add a smoky quality. You could even use roasted fresh tomatoes to add smokier richer flavor. The varieties of peppers now available to us also allow us the chance to even change the heat index up or down and can also be roasted for even more complex flavors.
What of the meat? Perhaps we could do half beef and half pork sausage. If the pork is pre-seasoned you add more flavor elements depending on if you use a spicy mix or sweet. Fennel, sage and paprika will add a level of sweetness that can allow you to add more heat. Sausage can also add the smoky qualities and saltiness you want. Also consider ground chicken or turkey. These meats take seasoning wonderfully and help reduce fat calories. On that note also consider tofu. Cutting the meat and replacing with tofu can add protein and seriously reduce fat. This product takes on flavors like a sponge. If mixed half and half with meat while browning it takes on a similar appearance of ground meat and absorbs flavors from the meat. In larger batches of chili people may not even realize they have eaten tofu at all.
Now on to those controversial beans I mentioned earlier. Don’t like kidney or red beans? Replace them with navy or pinto beans. How about black eyed peas? What about fresh edamame? The sweetness and texture are amazing. Experiment and play with mixtures. Just remember if you can’t find canned or fresh legumes you should soak dry beans at least 24 hours in advance in cold water. You can also hurry them along by soaking them in boiling water or even cooking them in a pressure cooker. The last thing you want to do is add an undercooked item to your dish.
Let us also consider expanding the ingredients. If we look at chili as a base sauce for soup or stew we open ourselves up to a flood of opportunities. We could add corn, peas and diced carrots, rich in vitamins and flavor. How about mushrooms, diced zucchini, chic peas or even cubed egg plant? These wonderful plants are made to absorb flavor and have different textures. Think about olives, the richness and salty flavor can add a lot to chili. There are so many more.
Even serving it gives us opportunity to expand. We could serve it over rice or pasta. Now it takes on a whole new aspect. What of garnishes? A dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of cheese to tame its heat and bread, crackers and even corn bread to sop sauce up. We could sprinkle the top with some chopped cilantro, minced onion and jalapeno slices. Let’s not forget the bottle of hot sauce for the daredevil that always says his chili is never hot enough.
Here are some last suggestions for seasoning, cinnamon, chocolate and soy sauce. These are things that if used judiciously can be amazing. Soy sauce can be used in place of salt and may help control sodium levels if that is an issue. It has a richness that plain salt doesn’t. Cinnamon should be used very lightly. A little makes chili sweeter and can help back down overly spicy. Too much and it overwhelms your dish. Unsweetened chocolate powder or cocoa will add an earthiness that works well with peppery flavors. Use sweetened chocolate sparingly like cinnamon as it can overwhelm the dish also.
This is by no means end all be all. Imagining the possibilities is just a step. Each new way you try will give you more insight and more ideas. Perfect your favorites and have friends over to share it with you. Chili was meant to be shared with family and friends. That is the best way.
About the Author
I am a life long foodie turned culinarian. I am working toward my A.S. in culinary studies at my local community college.
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