Chili w/o beans

[Anastasis 23461]

Gonna make a run with @jimmyjazz's recipe.  First time rehydrating peppers. Hope I don't burn the kids' faces off. 

 

[HenryJames 66038]

24 minutes ago, PantsTent said:

I like to add a Sason Goya packet or two at the end for some MSG.

[LW Goatman 1118]

9 hours ago, HenryJames said:

That recipe has too much water, imo. Much easier to add water as needed than to cook off too much water.

If there is too much water in the chili, just sit and add more beer to the body, it'll all come out just right. 

[PantsTent 2002]

36 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Well shit, I guess Goya is a conglomerate from NY.  I stand by the chili I made though! 

 

[ztejas 43411]

56 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Gonna make a run with @jimmyjazz's recipe.  First time rehydrating peppers. Hope I don't burn the kids' faces off. 

 

If you use the pepper breakdown in the recipe it shouldn't be too hot at all. With the mix I used it was hot enough to not need to add any heat on top. Kind of gave a slow mouth burn but wasn't really "spicy".

Then again I wouldn't use myself as a barometer for someone's kids.

[Anastasis 23461]

Just now, ztejas said:

If you use the pepper breakdown in the recipe it shouldn't be too hot at all. With the mix I used it was hot enough to not need to add any heat on top. Kind of gave a slow mouth burn but wasn't really "spicy".

Then again I wouldn't use myself as a barometer for someone's kids.

Based on tasting the chili blend, it is going to be very mild, milder than what I make normally for them.  Think that I have a few red arbols to throw in. 

 

Tell me though, why am I discarding this steeping liquid.  No good flavor potential coming out of that stuff?

[ztejas 43411]

2 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Tell me though, why am I discarding this steeping liquid.  No good flavor potential coming out of that stuff?

Idk. I didn't wash the peppers before destemming and deseeding them, so I imagine the water was full of gunk from the outside of them.

[utee94 15805]

2 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Based on tasting the chili blend, it is going to be very mild, milder than what I make normally for them.  Think that I have a few red arbols to throw in. 

 

Tell me though, why am I discarding this steeping liquid.  No good flavor potential coming out of that stuff?

I don't ever discard the steeping liquid.  If any liquid needs to be added into the chili as it simmers, I'll use the steeping liquid, and maybe some chicken stock.

Also, you can use it for adding into Mexican rice alongside the stock, and anything else like that.  It keeps well for months if you freeze it in an ice cube tray and dole it out for later use. 

[jimmyjazz 45887]

Sometimes the steeping liquid can taste pretty bitter.  But, the counterargument to discarding it is that you are throwing away pepper flavor.  I would think if you don't steep the stems you could keep the liquid, because the rest is . . . pepper.

By the way, I am now using a lot more oregano -- like 2 T per 3 lb of meat.  That might be going a bit too far but it didn't seem that off to me on the last batch.  Maybe go for 1 T and see what you think.  None of this is anywhere close to "law", I was just trying to recreate the Queens recipe as best I could and then go from there.  But, it appears that I blew it on either the transcription of the Queens' recipe or the execution, because they also call for 2 T per 3 lb meat.

Look at "great" chili recipes available anywhere and you will see vast disagreements on various spices, including cumin, which surprises me, because that's pretty much the dominant flavor of chili, along with of course the peppers.  I think too many chili recipes are way too light on the cumin.

[Anastasis 23461]

Reconstituting the chilis definitely adds a deeper flavor, and I think a different mouth feel, just based on what I have been sampling as it goes. Gonna be fun to play with the chili makeup.  I ended up using Ancho, Guijillo and some new mexico chilis.  Couldn't find any dried chipotles.  Added some extra new mexico and some jalapeno power to heat up the side pot that I pulled off for myself. Thanks for the recipe jimmy as a startign point. 

[HenryJames 66038]

Robb Walsh throws in a couple of anchos you cook with the chili. Pull them out at the end, purée them, and then throw them back in.

[utee94 15805]

21 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Sometimes the steeping liquid can taste pretty bitter.  But, the counterargument to discarding it is that you are throwing away pepper flavor.  I would think if you don't steep the stems you could keep the liquid, because the rest is . . . pepper.

I always stem and de-seed the dried chile pods, toast them lightly just until fragrant on a comal, hot skillet, or in the oven, and then steep them in hot but not boiling water.  Stems, or boiling water, can introduce those bitter flavors.

[Bozo_Casanova 26437]

54 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Tell me though, why am I discarding this steeping liquid.  No good flavor potential coming out of that stuff?

 

25 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Sometimes the steeping liquid can taste pretty bitter.  But, the counterargument to discarding it is that you are throwing away pepper flavor.  I would think if you don't steep the stems you could keep the liquid, because the rest is . . . pepper.

For both of you - there's a kickass soup/sauce flavor base I make with two dried acho chilis and two dried guajillo chilies and six cloves of garlic. I remove the seeds and stems, put the chilis and garlic in a blender, add 2 cups of boiling water over them and soak until they reach room temp, which is about a half hour. Then I puree. I've done this multiple times (also with dried chipotles) and never had a bitterness issue. 

I haven't made JJ's recipe (but I will), but I might not discard the steeping water and just add 2 cups water at step 4. 

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Bozo_Casanova

[Anastasis 23461]

The puree and the pot working. 1# venison stew meat, 1# venison, 1.5# beef. 

[utee94 15805]

5 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

The puree and the pot working. 1# venison stew meat, 1# venison, 1.5# beef. 

 

Nice.  The Vitamix was a game changer for me, I used to have to blend, and then still strain through a fine-mesh strainer.  But the Vitamix eliminated that messy straining step.

I have a pot on right now as well, 1# chorizo, 1.5 lb cubed chuck roast, 2# beef short ribs.  When all the meat is tender and retreats off the bones, I'll pull rib meat and mix it into the shred.  Reconstituted peppers were a mix of ancho, New Mexican red, pasilla, and a few arbol.  

[Anastasis 23461]

11 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Nice.  The Vitamix was a game changer for me, I used to have to blend, and then still strain through a fine-mesh strainer.  But the Vitamix eliminated that messy straining step.

I have a pot on right now as well, 1# chorizo, 1.5 lb cubed chuck roast, 2# beef short ribs.  When all the meat is tender and retreats off the bones, I'll pull rib meat and mix it into the shred.  Reconstituted peppers were a mix of ancho, New Mexican red, pasilla, and a few arbol.  

No Strainer At All. 

[UnivTex34 1763]

I’ve always used the Snow Dog recipe, but all this love for the fresh pepper puree method has me thinking about changing it up for a batch. Always love the results of the one I use, and have passed the recipe on to most of my friends....

 

hmmmmm......

[jimmyjazz 45887]

Team Vitamix

Those things are bulletproof.  Not only are they far superior to KitchenAid, etc., they take a beating and never wince.  Ours gets used multiple times per day, and it's essentially as good as new.

[Anastasis 23461]

Cheers.  

 

 

[AustinMT 952]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Sometimes the steeping liquid can taste pretty bitter.  But, the counterargument to discarding it is that you are throwing away pepper flavor.  I would think if you don't steep the stems you could keep the liquid, because the rest is . . . pepper.

By the way, I am now using a lot more oregano -- like 2 T per 3 lb of meat.  That might be going a bit too far but it didn't seem that off to me on the last batch.  Maybe go for 1 T and see what you think.  None of this is anywhere close to "law", I was just trying to recreate the Queens recipe as best I could and then go from there.  But, it appears that I blew it on either the transcription of the Queens' recipe or the execution, because they also call for 2 T per 3 lb meat.

Look at "great" chili recipes available anywhere and you will see vast disagreements on various spices, including cumin, which surprises me, because that's pretty much the dominant flavor of chili, along with of course the peppers.  I think too many chili recipes are way too light on the cumin.

Using chicken stock as the steeping liquid helps reduce the bitterness

[ztejas 43411]

4 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Cheers.  

 

 

Looks good. What was the meat you used again? Yours came out much grainier than mine - like a traditional chili. Mine is almost like a Carne guisada consistency.

BTW- just sat down to eat some of the leftover for the first time since I made it yesterday.

So... it's actually pretty hot. Like medium heat curry at an authentic Indian place. I hope you didn't make it too hot for your fam.

[jimmyjazz 45887]

My chili almost always gets hotter over the next day or two.  I have no idea why.

[ztejas 43411]

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

My chili almost always gets hotter over the next day or two.  I have no idea why.

Idk but there's some science to this. It happens with most if not all spicy foods.

[Anastasis 23461]

5 hours ago, ztejas said:

Looks good. What was the meat you used again? Yours came out much grainier than mine - like a traditional chili. Mine is almost like a Carne guisada consistency.

1# venison stew meat, 1# venison ground, 1.5# ground beef. I usually like ~2:1 stew meat to ground but it was whatever I found in the freezer this time. 

[Dutch 4465]

@Anastasis, did you use plain ol' "ground beef" or "chili grind"?  That finished product looks outstanding. Maybe I'm cooking too long, but whenever I use ground beef it nearly dissolves into the gravy, and I'm left with whatever "cubed" meat I was using.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Dutch

[HenryJames 66038]

How long are you cooking it? I usually use ground, and it never takes longer than a couple of hours.

[Dutch 4465]

3 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

How long are you cooking it? I usually use ground, and it never takes longer than a couple of hours.

Usually around 4: around two covered & two uncovered, depending on how much or little liquid needs to evap. That a bit long?

[HenryJames 66038]

Possibly. You want to cook until the meat is done, not to the level of liquid you want. Just use less liquid and add it as needed to maintain the right chili consistency.

[Anastasis 23461]

34 minutes ago, Dutch said:

@Anastasis, did you use plain ol' "ground beef" or "chili grind"?  That finished product looks outstanding. Maybe I'm cooking too long, but whenever I use ground beef it nearly dissolves into the gravy, and I'm left with whatever "cubed" meat I was using.

That was regular grind, the beef from Costco and the venison from my processor which is mixed with beef fat. 

I mentioned previously, but I usually do more stew meat with just a lb or so of ground in the mix if I use it at all...and my cooks are usually longer, closer to your duration. This one was 3 hours maybe including processing the chilis. If I grind the meat myself I only pass it through the big holes one time for a rough chili grind. The finer grind does tend to dissolve into the gravy, which is ok imo as long as you have a lot of stew meat chunks in there.  The stew meat takes longer to really loosen up.  The venison chunks I had in that batch were ok, but could have benefited from a longer cook time. IMO, a chili grind holds together better with the longer cook.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26437]

1 hour ago, Dutch said:

Usually around 4: around two covered & two uncovered, depending on how much or little liquid needs to evap. That a bit long?

Probably not too long, but I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve here, either.  Why not just use less liquid?

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

Possibly. You want to cook until the meat is done, not to the level of liquid you want. Just use less liquid and add it as needed to maintain the right chili consistency.

This. Also - I don't usually use water. I usually use a combination of beer and tomato sauce or juice, to the ratio of about 1-1.5 cups of liquid per pound of meat. 

[elfenix 34223]

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Possibly. You want to cook until the meat is done, not to the level of liquid you want. Just use less liquid and add it as needed to maintain the right chili consistency.

figuring this out was the biggest improvement to my chili game since i started reconstituting peppers 10 years ago.

serious eats investigates:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/02/science-of-stew-why-long-cooking-is-bad-idea-overcook-beef.html

[jimmyjazz 45887]

I think the diced cuts are more legit, but sometimes I want that "put it on the kids' hot dogs" consistency.

I completely agree that, especially with the fine ground meat, you can't cook too long.  Use less liquid.

[Dutch 4465]

3 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Probably not too long, but I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve here, either.  Why not just use less liquid?

This. Also - I don't usually use water. I usually use a combination of beer and tomato sauce or juice, to the ratio of about 1-1.5 cups of liquid per pound of meat. 

I may have been using too much liquid (2:2 # meat : c liquid), and, looking back at my chili logs*, I wasn't accounting for the liquid in my reconstituted chili slurry.  I'll try less liquid in my next pot. Thanks, gents. 

*Yeah, I'm the nerd who logs just about everything I cook. Especially barbecue and chili, where I'll change one thing each time in the pursuit of perfection.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Dutch

[Anastasis 23461]

I laid down a chili log this morning. 

[jimmyjazz 45887]

38 minutes ago, Dutch said:

I may have been using too much liquid (2:2 # meat : c liquid), and, looking back at my chili logs*, I wasn't accounting for the liquid in my reconstituted chili slurry.  I'll try less liquid in my next pot. Thanks, gents. 

I'm at roughly 1.5 cup per pound of uncooked meat.

 

Quote

*Yeah, I the nerd who logs just about everything I cook. Especially barbecue and chili, where I'll change one thing each time in the pursuit of perfection.

I keep meticulous notes.  Then I fail to look at them.  Then I wonder why I keep making the same mistakes.

Edited October 28, 2020 by jimmyjazz

[Herbie Hancock 7344]

I’m on tapa so I probably overlooked it, but JimmyJazz what post # is your recipe for reconstitution of peppers? It’s been a couple years since I gave that a go

[jimmyjazz 45887]

37 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

I’m on tapa so I probably overlooked it, but JimmyJazz what post # is your recipe for reconstitution of peppers? It’s been a couple years since I gave that a go

The Chili Queens attempt was on post #16.  I've moved on but haven't really updated.

I mean, there's not much to it.  Stem & seed the peppers, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes, and there you go.

[Herbie Hancock 7344]

Roughly how many per pound of meat and which Chile’s do you prefer to use? Last time
I believe I did Guajillo and Ancho

[jimmyjazz 45887]

59 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Roughly how many per pound of meat and which Chile’s do you prefer to use? Last time
I believe I did Guajillo and Ancho

I've been focused on a chili kit, so I've been using dried chile powders.  Beyond that, I've been trying to dial in on the Chili Queens historically archived recipe, which is pretty sketchy.  I settled on dried ancho and New Mexico red chile peppers, and for cost reasons I have moved to a blend of jalapeno and cayenne powders from their recipe, which called for serrano peppers.  Dried serrano powder is insanely expensive.

I'm no longer convinced one MUST used reconstituted peppers to get a tasty chili, but it certainly makes things easier.  Getting the grit out of dried chile powders pretty much seems to require a heated bloom in oil before mixing with water -- they aren't water soluble.

[HouTex 1866]

I've been focused on a chili kit, so I've been using dried chile powders.  Beyond that, I've been trying to dial in on the Chili Queens historically archived recipe, which is pretty sketchy.  I settled on dried ancho and New Mexico red chile peppers, and for cost reasons I have moved to a blend of jalapeno and cayenne powders from their recipe, which called for serrano peppers.  Dried serrano powder is insanely expensive.
I'm no longer convinced one MUST used reconstituted peppers to get a tasty chili, but it certainly makes things easier.  Getting the grit out of dried chile powders pretty much seems to require a heated bloom in oil before mixing with water -- they aren't water soluble.

I agree on powders. My tastes can’t tell a meaningful difference. I like the consistency of powders. It’s no wonder that the world champion cook off recipes pretty much exclusively call for powders. And they usually use Mexene.

[HenryJames 66038]

Making your own chili powder is easy and worth it.

Robb Walsh’s recipe

5 whole dried ancho chiles (about 2 ounces) 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano, or to taste 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Remove stems and seeds from anchos and spread the peppers out flat. Reserve seeds. Place chiles flat on a comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Being careful not to burn them, lightly toast until they're brittle, then remove and cool. Toast the cumin in hot comal, stirring and shaking until fragrant. Add some of the chile seeds, if desired. (They will make the chili powder hotter.)

Cut chiles into small strips with scissors. In a clean coffee grinder, grind strips in several batches until powdered. Grind cumin and chile seeds. Combine powdered chile, ground seeds, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Grind coarse powder in batches in coffee grinder until fine, about 2 minutes. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

[Etexhorn13 3045]

I am rocking the @jimmyjazz recipe from the last page. I didn’t even see the dried chipotles when I was buying groceries, so I had to add some pre-diced chipotles I had in the fridge (la costena brand, this is great to keep around to add to various sauces chilis etc.) I’m hoping the fresh chipotle instead of dried doesn’t throw it off too much, but after tasting it before and after adding, that’s definitely what was missing.

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Etexhorn13

[jimmyjazz 45887]

Nothing wrong with canned chipotles.  Nectar of the gods.

[Etexhorn13 3045]

I think this turned out just fine... not overly hot but a nice slow burn, at least right now. I added a couple habaneros and a jalapeño so i imagine that will come through more tomorrow but it’s not 9 alarm fire burn a whole through your britches hot. Want to let it sit overnight so we can have it for dinner tomorrow and I’m sure it’ll spice up and thicken up even more but based on a few small tastings this is definitely some of the best I’ve made. Love the recipe. 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Etexhorn13

[NorthLoop 14181]

That's some good looking chili right there. 

[Reynolds Woodcock 4739]

In the Catskills this weekend. Snowy morning called for a big batch of Chili.

[Dbeasy 15042]

I think this turned out just fine... not overly hot but a nice slow burn, at least right now. I added a couple habaneros and a jalapeño so i imagine that will come through more tomorrow but it’s not 9 alarm fire burn a whole through your britches hot. Want to let it sit overnight so we can have it for dinner tomorrow and I’m sure it’ll spice up and thicken up even more but based on a few small tastings this is definitely some of the best I’ve made. Love the recipe. 

Which recipe is this

[Etexhorn13 3045]

On 6/24/2018 at 12:20 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Probably my best ever:  an attempt to get close to the original San Antonio Chili Queens recipe.  I used less onion and more chile peppers & cumin, but the result was stellar.  I'd say the heat was "medium".  No tomatoes, no stock, mostly just beef & pork, chile peppers, spices and water.

 

2 lb    beef chuck (cubed ~ 1/2")
1 lb    pork loin (cubed ~ 1/2")
8        dried guajillo peppers
8        dried ancho peppers
4        dried chipotle peppers
3        cloves garlic 
1        medium sweet onion 
1 t     Mexican oregano
2 T    cumin seeds
2 t     paprika
1 T    salt 
8 c    water
3 T    extra virgin olive oil
3 T    masa harina

1.       stem & seed ancho, guajillo and chipotle peppers.  Soak in 4c hot water for 20 minutes.  Discard steeping water.

2.       Toast cumin seeds until fragrant; grind to medium powder

3.       Combine cumin with oregano, paprika and salt

4.       Heat 4 c water until warm and add to blender with drained peppers and half of spice blend

5.       Blend pepper/water/spice combination with 1 T olive oil until very smooth

6.       Dice onion medium fine; saute in 2 T olive oil until slightly translucent over medium heat in large Dutch oven

7.       Mince garlic and set aside

8.       Dice beef & pork to ~ ½” cubes, add to Dutch oven, season with remaining spice blend and saute until lightly browned

9.       Add garlic to Dutch oven for ~ 30 seconds, do not burn

10.    Immediately add pepper/water/spice puree to Dutch oven and reduce to low

11.    Simmer for 2-3 hours, adding water as necessary.  Add masa harina before serving to tighten.

@Dbeasy

except i also added two deseeded habaneros and a jalapeno, and my Chipotle’s were fresh instead of dried. I love heat so i could’ve maybe added more chipotle or another habanero, but I fed my wife and several friends that don’t want to hurt while they eat and they all approved. Salted to taste... i used a lot more than the recipe above but it turned out really, really well. I also doubled+ the garlic. Up the spice and salt to your preference but at the very very least this was a great recipe to get me to make my own chili paste or whatever. 
 

 

[Jack Straw 2954]

On 10/28/2020 at 5:44 PM, HenryJames said:

Making your own chili powder is easy and worth it.

Robb Walsh’s recipe

5 whole dried ancho chiles (about 2 ounces) 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano, or to taste 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Remove stems and seeds from anchos and spread the peppers out flat. Reserve seeds. Place chiles flat on a comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Being careful not to burn them, lightly toast until they're brittle, then remove and cool. Toast the cumin in hot comal, stirring and shaking until fragrant. Add some of the chile seeds, if desired. (They will make the chili powder hotter.)

Cut chiles into small strips with scissors. In a clean coffee grinder, grind strips in several batches until powdered. Grind cumin and chile seeds. Combine powdered chile, ground seeds, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Grind coarse powder in batches in coffee grinder until fine, about 2 minutes. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

thanks for posting this.  i did this for the first time this weekend and don't think i'll ever go back.  i started with the above as the basis for my chili powder and used a combination of anchos, mulatos, and new mexico then used a 1/4 cup of that powder with the el real chili recipe as the starting point - used 2 lbs chili grind and 1 pound ground pork, diced tomatoes instead of puree, and added a diced fresh red bell pepper - plus the dried anchos cooked and then pulled and blended and put back in.  my favorite batch so far.  the only thing i think i will do different next time is adding in some more of the toasted ancho seeds for more heat 

 

[BigDHornfan 6545]

Made some pretty dang good chili last night.


Looking forward to lunch today.