One problem with the cuisinart grinder/sausage attachments, is that they get way hot, and make the meat a little too paste like due to the fat softening (I have one myself); I would suggest, depending on how much meat you typically do for chilli, getting a countertop hand grinder, even with a hand grinder + half moon die, its going to be cheaper then getting the cuisin art etc (and the clean up is easier);

a plate like this is probably what you are looking for, or even try out a stuffing plate:

http://www.onestopjerkyshop.com/images/19mm_plate.jpg

I saw this recipe for Espresso Black Bean Chili on Mark Bittman's blog a few days ago and decided to try it: http://markbittman.com/espresso-black-bean-chili . It has some unique ingredients like brown sugar, espresso and cinnamon, so I thought that those of you interested in experimenting with your chili might be interested. And it's vegetarian if anyone's looking for that.

I used 4 cans of black beans instead of dried because I always **** up dried beans somehow

Anyway, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. I used a full cup of freshly brewed espresso and the caffeine definitely comes through. Like the 4Loko of chili. On the second day I had some extra ground beef, so I browned that and mixed it in. Made it even better imo (obv).

Sorry for the pic, my real camera is broken:

I'm good friends with mark bittman's daughter. I'm gonna have to challenge that fool to a chili cookoff next time I'm over there

Yeah, the plate with those size holes is what I'm after. Unfortunately that plate (19mm) does not fit a KitchenAid stand mixer meat grinder attachment.

You mentioned the Cuisinart grinder attachments getting too hot ... I have a KitchenAid mixer not a Cuisinart, any idea if the same heat problem is present? The attachment connects to the output shaft and that area of the machine doesn't get very warm, although perhaps the friction itself creates the heat.

Here's my mixer and the attachment I'm considering (notice how the holes are way too small):
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA.../dp/B00004SGFH

And if it does indeed get too warm, I suppose that could be counteracted by chilling the meat chunks first which I think is standard for things like salami where you want to retain integrity of meat/fat separation.

I'd get a dedicated grinder but I have way too much junk in my kitchen already.

Chilling the meat is def a must, I dont have direct experience with anything other than cuisinart, but Im under the impression that all kitchen grinders produce too much heat due to working to hard, but I may be wrong. This isnt really a big deal, and I doubt most would notice, but I def like the consistency of meat from my hand grinder, or my industrial grinder compared to the countertop one because of the somewhat "pastey" nature it produces.

Instead of sugar, add in some dark chocolate, it gives it a nice taste

My Extremely Detailed Organic Chili Trip Report

So I’ve known that Georgia Tech was playing Air Force in a bowl game today at 2pm for a long time, and invited a few friends over.



I’ve been lurking in this chili thread for a while, and was planning on taking all the advice, doing some research of my own and pushing the chili envelope since I’d have a bunch of independent tasters. Well, I had some stuff to do this morning and found myself with no ingredients, no research and no recipe with 1.5 hrs to kickoff. So I copy/pasted El Diablo’s first two recipes, grabbed my Canon point-and-shoot (for this trip report duh) and headed for the door.

It wasn’t raining in SF for the first time in 3 weeks so I walked down a few blocks to my local organic grocery store and got this photo off.



Then my camera died. So the rest of the shots are with my BB 9700. So I’m sorry for the crappy photos but I tried!!!

First stop is the meat counter where I told the nice meat counter guys my chili trip report plans and asked for any additional advice. They immediately said I was an idiot for mixing ground beef and chopped steak and I should change that and focus on one. I bluntly told them that a world renowned internet poaster had recommended this recipe and he probably knew more about chili meat than someone working at a meat counter in a high-end grocery store. They were not convinced (sorry El D!) Anyway, I got the fattiest ground beef they had, 25% fat if I remember correctly.



Then the guy made a STRONG suggestion that I go with “Cross Rib Kobe Steak” for the chopped meat. I didn’t have the heart to tell him no (I remember reading that cheaper cuts were better?!?!) so went with his advice, since I had asked or it after all! He also pulled out the huge piece of beef so I could take a picture of it so that was cool.



I then remembered I wanted to add a THIRD meat so I got 4 strips of bacon and got the hell out of dodge.

I went with the most expensive brand of organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, and basically closed my eyes and picked the first organic chocolate that I could find here in the ridiculously large chocolate section. I’m short on time remember!


Got the rest of my ingredients (organic of course) and ran.


$47 and some change...

Had like 30 minutes left now so no time to think, just had to start cooking. Bacon goes in one pan and the big chili pot goes on the burner with some olive oil. I just got a new pocketknife from Amazon so I got a chance to test it out on the beef.


Lethal!


I brown the cubes, remove them and then put in the ground beef. The bacon has been slow cooking and has melted off a good amount of fat so I take it out.


Veggies go into the bacon fat and the bacon (now chopped) and steak cubes go into the drained ground beef.


We’ve got a kegerator in our pad (to keep it classy)


So in goes some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale


The veggies run out of cooking time at 2pm...


So in they go and the game starts. Guests declare that the Chili “looks” good so far.


The first quarter is done before you know it (GT and AF were both running the ball every down) so in goes the dark chocolate


and 10 tortilla chips precision ground.


One more quick quarter of simmering and it’s time to serve! Put some shredded mild cheddar on top and some sour cream.

BOOM!


A guests interpretation...


And there was much rejoicing



Until we fumbled two punt returns in the 3rd quarter and lost the game.

NOTES:
Lots of praise for the chili, and surprise that I could produce something of that caliber. The general quality of the meat was loved, and beans were not missed at all. Just the right amount of spice for non-sadomasochists like myself. Majority thought that lime juice would have been an excellent addition, but not more vinegar.

Two of the guys don’t eat pork, and were very surprised to find out there was bacon in it. I felt bad for forgetting to tell them but they said it tasted great and had more. I think bacon was a KEY ingredient, but somehow disappeared in the matrix of flavors.

Also, someone saw my print out and noticed that I forgot the bourbon, so we poured a shot in after every ones first serving and let it simmer the rest of the game. I think it got worse, but I’m not sure if it’s from the bourbon or the chili getting too hot and the bottom getting overcooked from all the water evaporating, but I’m not going to add bourbon in the future.



OFFICIAL RECIPE (back calculated)

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 lb kobe steak (cubed)
4 strips of bacon
2 bell peppers, green and red
2 white onions
5 cloves of garlic, pressed into the veggies
1 Serrano pepper
3 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can tomato paste (small, 8oz maybe?)
8 oz chicken broth
6 oz Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
splash of Balsamic vinegar
1.5 oz Espresso Dark Chocolate
10 corn tortilla chips (crushed)

NEXT TIME

More ground beef, more chocolate, shallots instead of onions, lime juice, maybe cilantro and cook slower and lower in a crock pot.

Fantastic post.

looks great...but what a waste of a beautiful piece of steak.

million,

Thanks for the fantastic post, awesome job.

"I bluntly told them that a world renowned internet poaster had recommended this recipe and he probably knew more about chili meat than someone working at a meat counter in a high-end grocery store."

<3

I'm from Texas, son. I know nothing compared to anyone who knows anything about meat and chili in Texas. But compared to a fancy organic grocery store meat guy in SF? Yeah, I'll put my money on me.

"Then the guy made a STRONG suggestion that I go with “Cross Rib Kobe Steak” for the chopped meat"

LOL, WTF @ this suggestion. Definitely doesn't know about chili.

"I didn’t have the heart to tell him no (I remember reading that cheaper cuts were better?!?!) so went with his advice"

Oh no! Man, that steak looks great. I want to get one of those for the OOT steak thread.

Re: the bourbon, I really like what it adds to the chili, but adding it in when you are at the low simmer point maybe left some of the alcohol taste as opposed to adding it earlier when it's hot and the alcohol can burn off. Just my guess, someone else can confirm.

confirmed, if you are simmering the booze, it is going to take about 3 hours at a decent simmer to get rid of most of the alcohol.


edit to include link: http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

This is about what I have always been told

yeah that steak seems like the perfect candidate for butter roasting on a cast iron pan.

Next time if you are focusing on chopped meat, just get some tri tip or stew meat. Shouldn't be more than $5 or $6 a pound.

another suggestion would be to dice the veggies even a bit finer and cook everything a while longer.

Good job Million, still looks like a great chili.

for leftover chili, you can always make the classic Frito pie.

Traditionally, you open a small bag of Fritos, spoon in some warm chili and some cheese, and eat it with a spoon from the bag. You can also put everything in a casserole dish, top with cheese and put it in the oven if you like.

wife made ops recipe last night.... its already all gone. so delicious

I'm going to apologize in advance to the Texas purists, because I am using

• no beef at all,
• pre-cooked meat,
• lots of beans,

and I am cooking in a wok! Sorry to be such an iconoclast.

My view of chili is that, like most stews the world over, it is a basic recipe that is almost infinitely adjustable to suit whatever food one happens to have on hand. As long as you have some chili peppers, some protein and some liquid, you have a chili. Sure there are certain specific iconic versions, but that doesn't negate the validity of improvisation and adaptation to current supplies. The recipe can be used, with very little change, for chunked and/or ground beef, venison, pork, sausage, etc. You can take some or all of the beans out and add more meat instead.

A couple days ago I cooked up a chili using leftover turkey meat from Christmas dinner. The other ingredients were what happened to be on hand. Here is the recipe, as prepared.


DTM's LEFTOVER CHRISTMAS TURKEY CHILI

Yield: about 10 servings

Ingredients

4 slices double-smoked bacon, cut into squares

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed chilis
1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
2 tsp spanish paprika
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced *1

1 pint Fullers London Porter *2

1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
grated rind and juice of 2 limes
2 chipotles in adobo, minced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced *3
1 Habanero, seeded and minced
1.5 lbs cooked dark turkey meat, cut to 1.5 inches
1 19 oz can dark red kidney beans *4
1 19 oz can red kidney beans *5
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 oz dark chocolate, grated
corn meal, as thickener, quantity as required *6

Quantities adjusted to taste:
liquid mesquite smoke
hot sauce (I use Yucatan Habanero pepper sauce)
chili powder
cumin, ground
cinnamon, ground
lime juice
red wine vinegar
molasses
dark chocolate, grated
salt


Method

In a wok, at medium-high heat, fry bacon until fat is rendered. Reduce heat to medium. Set bacon aside, but leave bacon fat in wok.

Add onion to bacon fat. Cook on medium heat until onions begin to carmelize, stirring occaisionally. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add garlic, crushed chilis and cumin seeds. Stir-fry on medium-low for about 1 minute.

Add ground cumin, cinnnamon, paprika, celery and diced pepper. Increase heat to medium. Stir-fry until celery and pepper have begun to soften.

Add beer. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to slow cooker.

Add black pepper, chili powder, oregano, salt, limes, hot peppers, turkey, beans and tomato. Cover and cook for a long time.

About 1.5 hours before serving (or refrigerating), add chocolate. If texture is much too thin, add corn meal. (Remember chili will thicken even without added thickener)

About 1 hour before serving (or refrigerating), remove cover, test taste and adjust as required with liquid smoke, hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, lime juice, chocolate, molasses, vinegar, salt. Simmer uncovered (cover if sufficiently thick).


Notes on Ingredients

If we were using uncooked meat, I'd need a small amount of oil to brown the meat in first.

*1 I would prefer 2 Poblanos to the 1 large red bell pepper, but no Poblanos were available here.
*2 Almost any dark beer will do.
*3 I wish I had had 2 or 3 Jalapenos.
*4 I would have preferred white kidney beans or pinto beans with turkey, instead of the dark red kidney beans.
*5 With beef or venison, I might use pinto or black beans instead of the red kindney beans.
*6 Ideally, masa harina, but coarse corn meal or crushed tortilla chips will do.

I don't personally like cilantro, but when I have been in Mexico it has often blended in nicely with the food I've eaten there. So, next time I make chili I am going to try adding a fair amount at the same time as the chocolate.

I prefer dark beer in chili, but bourbon, or chicken stock with Worcestershire sauce, or beef broth are possible substitutes.

Proportions of spices and other flavorings are a matter of personal taste. I use no sugar. I find that the tomatoes and the cinnamon give it a sweet enough taste. If I was to add a sweetener, I'd use molasses. Because I don't use a sweetener, I find I don't need to use vinegar.

The heat of individual peppers varies. Taste and adjust to desired hotness.


Notes on Method

If using uncooked meat, start by browning the meat in oil at high heat for chunks and medium high heat for ground in small batches, and then setting it aside.

A wok is not necessary. You can substitute a good large cast iron skillet, or skip the slow cooker and use a dutch oven for everything.

It is very important not to scorch the garlic or seed spices.
If using a skillet or a large dutch oven, reduce the boiling time for the beer by about a minute, since it will be more shallow and therefore evaporate faster.

Generally I avoid specifying precise times, and instead cook until the desired results are obtained. Once the main ingredients are in the pot, I adjust cooking times and temperature according to what else is happening in my life. Obviously, lower temperature for longer cooking times.

The resultant flavour is more important than the precise measure of flavoring ingredients. The intensity of individual ingredients can vary considerably depending on source, age, etc. Taste and adjust, rather than insist on, for instance, precisely two habaneros or 4 tbsp of chili powder.

Some members of my family don't like it as hot as I do, so I make it less hot than some of you would like, but not wimpy.


Tasting Notes

At T-1:30 it was too thin, so added some corn meal with the chocolate.

At T-1:00 texture was beginning to resolve and it had sufficient smokiness - the chipotles and bacon had been enough. No liquid smoke required. The heat was just about right. Some members of the family would find it almost too hot while I found it barely hot enough. It wasn't a slow burn, but rather forward at first, and then resolving to a steady sizzle. The chili powder I used up on this batch was unusually strong, and the Habanero was also extra potent, I think. I didn't need to add chili powder or hot sauce. There was adequate, not excess, sweetness, so I didn't add any cinnamon, molasses or vineagar. The richness of the chocolate was just barely evident, I could have added more but didn't need to. However, the flavour wasn't quite right. Perhaps my cumin was getting old, so I added a tsp of ground cumin.

At T+0:05 it went into the fridge until re-heating for dinner yesterday.

After about 22 hours in the fridge, I reheated it and grated some jack cheese to melt on top of each serving. Tasted delicious. Several family members, including one who doesn't normally like chili, had seconds.

Next time I will use Cilanto and more cholcoate.

So, I'm trying to reduce my cholesterol intake - anyone have any good vegetarian chili recipes?

I tried one tonight that I am enjoying but there is a lot of room for improvement.

I haven't tried any vegetarian chilis, but it seems to me that a standard chili recipe with a meat substitute might do. Consider tempeh, or grilled portobelos. Beans are pretty much a necessity.

If the dish doesn't have to be purely vegetarian, consider using beef stock.

To reduce cholesterol but retain meat, consider bison instead of beef. Or see my Turkey Chili recipe right above your post.

Some people also claim that venison is lower in cholesterol than beef, but apparently it depends on the cut. Some cuts of venison are higher in cholesterol than the beef equivalent cut. See this article, or look up individual cuts in the USDA nutritional database.

to the guys that like vinegar in their chilli, what do you think about substituting pickle brine?

think that would work fine though I always have balsamic vinegar more readily available than pickle brine.

Think pickle brine will give you more salt as opposed to vinegar so you might want to adjust your salt amounts.

Also, if you are using vinegar based hotsauces, remember to adjust down the amount of vinegar or pickle brine you are using.

Made this today:

1 Yellow Onion
2 Jalapenos
2 Anaheim Chili
2 Serrano Chili
5 cloves garlic

Cumin
Oregano
Cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
Papprika
Cayenne Pepper
Whole cloves

1lb Creekstone All natural Angus beef for Stew(chunks cut slightly smaller than they came)
1lb Omaha natural ground chuck
28oz San Marzano, Whole Peeled Tomatoes
14.5 oz Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Petite Diced Tomatoes With Chipotle Peppers
1 Alaskan Winter Ale

27oz S&W Red Kidney Beans with 50% Less Salt

2 year aged canadian sharp cheddar
Tillamook Medium Cheddar
Fritos
Tillamook sour cream

This is my chili. If you want a thicker chile, then you can use less beer or stewed tomatoes. You can also add corn starch or tapioca to thicken it up. I use 1 can of stewed tomatoes and 1 bottle of beer per 2 lbs of meet. I prefer ground chuck for the fat and I think ground absorbs the flavors better than a chunky cut. Lamb was on sale so I used ground lamb instead. I keep it in the slow cooker for at least 6 hours on the low setting. As mentioned before, it tastes best on the 2nd and 3rd days. You can also add some bourbon and/or beans about half an hour before serving if you like.




First I toast some of the spices: cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, black peppercorns (whole and ground) oregano, cloves, rosemary and thyme.






Then add meat and kosher salt. Brown for a while, add chopped onion, garlic with a little more salt.







I cook the **** out of the meat. To the point where it's almost burnt. Then add fresh chopped peppers.






Once the peppers reduce a little I add beer.




Then it all goes into the crock pot. Where I add stewed tomatoes, 100% cocoa powder and cumin. Go light on the additional spices. Let it cook for a couple of hours, mix it up and taste. Spice accordingly. If it's already too hot, add more beer and/or stewed tomatoes. If it needs more flavor then add more cumin and cocoa. If it's not spicy enough, add cayenne powder.

Serve with milk and cheese.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

The terrorists have won.

Okay, so I have been lurking this thread for a bit. This is my go-to recipe, but based on what I've read apparently this is lacking?

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
5 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans with liquid
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

I usually add some spices and peppers (like jalepenos and anaheims), but to be honest I like it and don't really see much reason to alter it greatly. Although I've added stew beef with the ground beef and some slight changes like peppers and whatnot. You guys have some slight fancy recipes so I dunno. One thing I know about chile though, its basically a freestyle so having fun and trying new things, as long as its slow cooked, works out anyway.

I usually cook mine in a crockpot, so maybe the next time I make it I'll include pics. Regardless, what mild changes would you guys recommend? Keep in mind I like the recipe as is, but I am interested in some changes to mix things up (and I realize its pretty straight forward).

Also, El D, and interest in a Jumbalaya thread? My mom has a meh recipe and I've had some good (and spicy) at a restaurant, but its a recipe fairlly similar to chile in that it can be modified easily.

I agree with your notion that chili is a freestyle dish. It is a stew based on peppers and protein. You've got those, so you've got a chili.

The biggest gaps in your recipe IMO are no cumin and no garlic. These are in almost all traditional recipes. I can't imagine a chili without them.

Also, your base recipe is really non-spicy (dare I say bland?). Definitely needs some hot peppers, and/or way more chili powder.

It is a matter of personal taste, of course, but many people seem to like to balance the quantity of beans to match the quantity of meat. Your proportions seem a little bean-heavy. Purists claim that chili should have no beans at all, and some also say no tomatoes.

Masa harina, or some other corn meal product, is the usual thickener, if you need it.

Other herbs and spices often found in chili are paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, and oregano. Many people add salt, but I doubt that it is absolutely necessary if you serve it with cheese and/or Fritos.

Ingredients to experiment with:

• Red bell peppers instead of green
• Poblanos instead of bell peppers
• Jalpenos, Anaheims, Habaneros, etc.
• Chipotles in adobo sauce
• San Marzano tomatoes or no tomatoes at all
• Celery? Cilantro?
• Pinto or black beans, or no beans at all
• Beer(dark) or bourbon
• Lime juice and/or rind
• Hot sauce
• Molasses and vinegar
• Dark chocolate or cocoa
• Smokey bacon, or liquid smoke
• Venison, bison, turkey or chicken

A few notes on technique:

• Brown your ground meat at medium-high heat (high heat if using chunks of meat) in small batches, then set it aside as you prepare your flavor base in the residual fat. This gives you brown meat. Fail to brown it, or brown it poorly by doing too much meat at once or trying to brown it over top of other ingredients, and then cook it in liquid, and you will get grey meat.
• Sweat, or better, carmelize the onions, then sweat the whole spices and garlic (not the powdered ones) with the onions. Do not scorch!
• Add the ground spices later. I usually do it when I am softening up the peppers (and celerey, if present), before adding the liquid ingredients.
• If using an alcoholic liquid, add it to your flavor base and boil off alcohol before adding in the other liquid ingredients.
• Cook for a long time on low heat. Crock pot is fine.
• Go easy on the hot spicy ingredients at first. It is easier to increase the hotness of a too mild dish than it is to moderate a dish that is too spicy. Taste and adjust flavorings as you cook.

Thanks for the tips. I realized that all I did was copy the base recipe. I usually add more chile powder, paprika, Tabasco, and cayenne. I hadn't thought about cinnamon, cumin, or garlic, but right now they make sense, so I will definitely do that next time. Both are in my carnitas recipe fwiw!


Yeah I know purists say chile shouldn't have beans, but I like it, so they are always going in!

Four Loco Chili