Chili con carne

[malfunction]

Seeing as Spag Bol has already been listed I thought I'd throw in my recipe for Chilli:

For 2 people:

4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 small tin of kidney beans (wash and drain)
1 red pepper (bell pepper that is - dice it fairly small)
500g (~ 1lb) of either lamb mince or decent beef mince (lamb tastes much better to me)
2 tins of plum tomatoes (normal size tins that is) - blitzed up to a smooth liquid (or just use tomato juice)

1-2 tsp each of basil and oregano
1-1.5 tsp each of (ground) cumin and (ground) coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 caps of 'Encona' Smooth Hot Pepper Sauce (the stuff with Papaya in it is best IMO) or similar.

1) Gently fry off the garlic and onion in either oil or a little oil and butter mixed for an extra bit of richness to the sauce (helps if using beef but can make it a bit too fatty with lamb mince).

2) When the onion and garlic have softened add the mince and brown it.

3) When the mince is brown add the kidney beans, diced pepper, herbs and spices (including the chilli sauce) and fry for a couple of mins.

4) Add the tomato.

5) Simmer for as long as it takes to reduce to a nice thick sauce (about 45 mins usually)...

Serve with rice or whatever you fancy (I never bother with sour cream or anything else).

If you double up for 4 people use 3 tins of toms not 4 as 4 somehow makes too much sauce to cook down whenever I do it!?!

[Nick]

Nice one...especially the Encona sauce, though it is very very hot, so use sparingly!

I like to bung a teaspoon or two of sugar into mine as well... it helps bring out the flavour of the chilli while combating the tartness of the tomatoes.

A good cheap way of bulking this up is to throw in an extra couple of tins of kidneys beans... failing that, why not use a tin of baked beans.. ok, I know it's not chilli con carne, but it tastes good all the same.

[floppybootstomp]

Also, instead of sugar, you can use a square or two of plain chocolate, that also removes bitterness and gives the whole thing a sort of glossiness and smoothness.

Encona sauce eh? Good idea, never thought of using that

[malfunction]

Just a quick note to say that I don't add sugar as the red pepper gives some sweetness to the sauce. Chocolate and chilli do work well though (also a bit of chocolate after dinner can help cool your mouth down if you overdid the chilli sauce!)

Edit: At my house it's 1 cap of encona if my wife is watching and 2 caps if she isn't as I like it a bit hotter!

[glyndwr]

I've made a lot of chilli in my day, so I thought I'd throw some suggestions in!

You definitely need a little sweetness, whether it's from peppers or sugar or whatever. I really like Pepperdew sweet chillis, which are packaged in a sort of tangy syrup. You can get them in decent supermarkets; they really are very nice indeed in just about anything.

As noted above, you can't really go wrong with the frying onions then beef etc; I'd use more garlic but then I'm a bit of a garlic fiend Also, make sure you fry the onions nice and long to get them good and soft; they'll go translucent when they are cooked.

Always add kidney beans late in the cooking or they'll fall apart a bit too much.

If it's not rich enough once you have it simmering, then add beef Oxo cubes and/or Worcestershire sauce, salt, and/or soy sauce in moderation.

For heat, I use Dave's Insanity Sauce, which is the best chilli sauce ever but you want to go real easy on it. To give you some idea, in that pic I linked to above, I have a 24cm cookpot full of chilli; it had four tins of tomatoes, three of kidney beans, 1.5kg of mince, three Oxo cubes, and it fed about fifteen people with rice and fresh baguettes. Into this enormous mixture I added a little over a teaspoon of Insanity Sauce (toned down a little to cater for mixed tastes, but still powerful). When I cook for two, I just dip a fork prong into it! It really is that hot.

Oh, and one more thing: the longer you can simmer it the better. Again, that one above (that I made for a Halloween party) simmered for several hours; it was fantastic, if I do say so myself.

[Nick]

Man, that's one big bowl o'chilli!

I personally like my chilli to have a nice zing but not be too hot, or it overpowers the flavour of everything else. Like you say though, its all down to persoanl taste.

I've tried an Australian chilli and chocolate sauce.. which gives it a great sweetness but makes it way too hot... still searching for the best one...

[glyndwr]

Dave's Insanity Sauce seems to give it that deceptive sort of heat, where the at first you it just seems tasty, then it gets more and more zing (love that word), then by the time you finish a (big) bowl, your lips are stinging. That's about the right level for me.

[oshta]

Sorted!
- Deffornalty going to give this a whirl asap. Off down to saisburys right now!


Daniel

[fat jez]

I do mine by frying an onion chopped finely and garlic (I use a few cloves, finely chopped) in olive oil. I then add beef mince, usually about 800g worth of decent stuff, add some mixed herbs and chilli powder and cook it with some more olive oil (if necessary). Once it has gone brown, I add an Oxo cube and mix it in well before draining the excess fat. I then add a chopped red pepper, some birdseye chillis chopped small, a tin of red kidney beens (washed) and a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes before leaving it all to simmer for a while. i then add more chilli powder and/or tomato puree if necessary to give more flavour.

Cheers,
Stephen

[atrull]

there should be some dark chocolate in that recipe - two or three blocks

[Funkstar]

I've heard of that before, gives it a more silky texture doesn't it?

Something like 80% Lindt would be best, yeah? as opposed to Bournville

[ernestrome]

I like a little mustard in my chilli, and cayenne pepper.

[oshta]

Well that was fairly good, basicaly followed malfunctions recipy, although i used cumin, cayanne peper, and a few mixed herbs as the falvouring.
- Came out very well, me an my both thoughly filled by the end of it!


Daniel

[deKoven]

Hmmm, I like my "chili con carne" without beans, which is actually what the name means. Chili does not have beans in it; you add whichever sort of beans/rice/pasta you want to the mixture.

One of my prize recipes is a Terlingua Texas Chili Cookoff recipe. I'll dig it out and post if anyone wants it. Be warned; it isn't simple and it DOESN'T have beans in it. I usually serve it over those little elbow macs or shell macs. And for those wondering; the winner at Terlingua MUST give out the recipe free of charge and free of copyright. At least that was the rules at the time; don't know what governs now.

[Moby-Dick]

I'd love to see it - Ever since the episode of the Simpson's , I'd love to go to a chilli cook off !!

[RECOiL™]

I had Chilli con carne at work today