Quote:
Originally Posted by El Diablo
ME,
Don't bring that crap to Texas.
LOL, my thoughts as well upon seeing pics. Sounds like it tasted better than it looked at least.
I just got done looking through a daniel boulud chili recipie in which he advocates making your own chili powder from scratch. The recipe is a bit different than what I've been doing, and I will probably try it out for my next batch.
Recipe:
Smoky Beef Chili:
adapted from: Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine by Daniel Boulud and Melissa Clark
(Print Friendly Recipe)
Ingredients:
* 2 limes
* 2 tablespoons masa harina (fine corn meal)
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 pounds beef chuck roast: 2½ pounds cut into ½-inch cubes; 1½ pounds ground (ask your butcher to do this) finely chopped
* ¼ pound slab bacon, cut into large chunks
* 1 large onion, peeled and cut into large cubes
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon dried regular oregano or Mexican oregano
* 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
* ¼ cup homemade chili powder *
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1- 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped with juices)
* 1 bay leaf
* ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Grate the zest of the limes, then juice both limes. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups water, the masa harina, and the lime zest and juice.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes and ground beef and sear until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and wipe the inside of the pot clean with paper towels.
4. Lower the temperature to medium-high. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until it renders its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until the onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the chili powder, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the beef cubes and ground meat to the pot and add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and masa harina mixture. Bring to a simmer.
5. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to braise for 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves right before serving.
NOTE: The recipe is best when using Boulud's homemade chili powder (recipe below), but it also delicious if you use freshly bought pre-made powder. I recently made it with store bought powder (1/2 ancho chili powder, 1/2 plain chili powder) and it was terrific!
* Homemade Chili Powder:
Ingredients:
* 4 dried ancho chili peppers
* 4 dried pasilla chili peppers
* 4 dried guajillo chili peppers
* 2 dried chilies de árbol
* 2 dried pequin chili peppers
* 1 small dried habanero chili pepper
Method:
In a dry skillet over medium heat peppers on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure that they are lightly toasted, but not burned. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Remove and discard the seeds from the peppers. Blend the peppers in a spice grinder to a fine powder.