Well, it ain't a "side item," but it ain't smoked meat, either, so I was unsure where else to post it.
I've been testin' my chili chops for a few years now, and below is the general direction I go when preparing a batch.
This includes deer meat in addition to cow, but all beef works too. Things for which I don't list amounts means I eyeball it.
Ingredients:
:
I've been testin' my chili chops for a few years now, and below is the general direction I go when preparing a batch.
This includes deer meat in addition to cow, but all beef works too. Things for which I don't list amounts means I eyeball it.
Ingredients:
- 4lbs of stew meat (I did 3lbs of deer, 1lb cow)
- 2lbs of ground beef
- 20-22 Poblano chiles (Anaheims work too, Anaheims & Poblanos combined are sublime)
- 20 Serrano chiles (jalapeños, if you're of the mild-palated sort)
- About 10 dried New Mexico chiles
- 2 cans of Ro-tel (Hot version, unless you prefer less exciting flavor)
- 1 yellow onion (to be chopped)
- 4 cloves of garlic (to be chopped)
- Celery stalks (to be chopped)
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- 1 stick of butter
- Broil the Poblano chiles until charrred on each side. Peel charrred ends, and look at the delicious roasted peppers. Just look at 'em. Then tear the prepared peppers into the portion size you'd like present in bites of chili. I prefer mine pretty gutty, since -after roasting and peeling them- they have the consistency of a nice gooey cheese, but all the flavor of a delicious chile.
- Season stew meat with some salt, cumin, and chili powder (not too much). Brown the meat, doesn't have to be fully cooked through. Drain the fat.
- Chop by hand and knife the celery and onion. Sautée celery and onion with butter, salt, and black pepper, until they're semi-translucent. Don't drain a bit of it.
- De-stem serranos and remove outer skin of garlic cloves. Put 'em in a food processor and mince that stuff down.
- Combine all the aforementioned prepared goodness into a 6 quart or bigger crock pot, and put it on low or warm. While that is warming:
- Take the dried New Mexico chiles and remove the stems. Cover them in water in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let said chiles simmer for 15 minutes or so, till softened. Process them until they're pretty much a beautiful red chili paste. Then add it to the crock pot, along with however much chili powder, cumin, salt, etc. you prefer. Let it cook on low for 8hrs, 10hrs, whichever. This renders the meat deliciously tender.
