| |
| |
|
Recipes Information |
|
|
|
The Secret To Making Perfect Chili Fit For A King
Every autumn my thoughts turn to making chili. The garden is about done. The freezer is full of veggies. All the canning is done, and winter is coming. Just before winter hits, the price of beef drops as cattlemen sell off any remaining stock that they don't want to "winter over". It is the perfect time to stock the freezer with homemade chili. There is nothing better than to come home at the end of a cold winter day, chilled to the bone, and sit down to a bowl of piping hot chili and steaming black coffee. It is more than food for the body. It is truly a comfort worth remembering. By itself, chili is absolutely delicious. As a side dish to grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, or toasted BLTs, it is out of this world. But there is a fabulous meal I call "perfect chili fit for a king" that is even better. It is a masterpiece of cookery. There are two great secrets to making "perfect chili fit for a king". One is in the making, and the other is in the serving. The first secret involves understanding the word "perfect". More people disagree on what makes good chili than any other dish. Some think that hotter is better. Others say milder. Some like it soupy. Others like it thick. And that is the secret to this recipe. When you finish making it, you will have 3-4 gallons of chili that is perfect FOR YOU...not for me. Yes, I said 3-4 gallons. When frozen in quart containers, you will have 12-16 wonderful meals that can be served in a matter of minutes. Just remove it from the container, add about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how you like it), turn on the burner, put on the coffee, and start the grilled cheese and garlic sandwiches. Your family will be eating in about 20 minutes. To begin with, you will need at least a 16 quart pot. I use the same 20 quart pot normally used for canning just to be sure I have a pot that's big enough. And you will need the following ingredients. 5 lbs. of ground chuck 5 Family size (40 1/2 oz.) cans of dark red kidney beans (drained) 1 Institutional size can (6 lb. 9 oz.) of whole peeled tomatoes 3 large bell peppers (washed, cored, and seeded) mixed colors preferred 3 medium to large oninions (about the size of an orange...peeled and washed) 2 to 4 TBS (tablespoons) Ground black pepper 1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) to 1 TBS of crushed red pepper 1 to 2 TBS of salt 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chili powder grated sharp cheddar cheese sour cream chopped chives (fresh or dried) Open the tomatoes and carefully pour the entire contents into the cooking pot. Making sure you keep your hand submerged below the liquid line, find the whole tomatoes one by one. Poke a hole in them with your thumb, then squeeze the tomato until the pieces squish out between your fingers. WARNING. If you do not poke a hole in the tomato before you squish it, I promise you that both you and your kitchen will be wearing tomato juice. The same is true if you squish them with your hands above the liquid. Continue squishing the pieces of tomato until they are the size you prefer. Chop all the bell peppers into dime-sized chunks and divide into two equal portions. Put one half into a bowl and the other in the pot with the tomatoes. Do the same with the onions, placing half in the pot and the other half in the same bowl as the bell peppers. Add the drained kidney beans to the pot. Add 2 TBS (tablespoons) of Ground black pepper. Add 1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) of crushed red pepper. Add 1 TBS of salt. Add 1/4 cup of chili powder. Take a strong spoon and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Put the pot on the stove, and set the burner on the LOWEST possible setting that will boil water. At this point, you may feel that the chili is too thick. If you are not sure, the best way to tell is if the chili is too hard to stir. If it is, add water to the pot until it is the consistency you prefer. Stir again. Cover the pot. (Note: if you are adding more than two glasses of water, you may want to substitute tomato juice for part of it.) From now own, two things are very important. Always keep the chili at the consistency you want by adding water when necessary. So that when the chili is done, the consistency will be perfect for you. It is equally important to stir the pot every 5-10 minutes. When you are cooking this much chili at one time, it is possible to burn it on the bottom while the chili on the top is still cold. Stirring keeps the chili evenly heated from top to bottom. Take a large frying pan and press enough ground chuck into the pan to cover the bottom with a layer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Salt and pepper the meat and then top with a handful of the chopped onions and peppers from the bowl. Cover and cook with the burner set about one notch higher than the pot is set on. Your goal is to partially cook the gound chuck, onions and peppers. Check the meat about every 5 minutes until it starts to firm. When the meat firms and starts changing colors on the bottom, take a strong spatula (the kind used for flipping hamburgers) and use the edge to start cutting the meat into pie shaped pieces. Flip the pieces to the opposite side, cover, and continue cooking. When the other side starts to firm, using the edge of the spatula, cut the hamburger into the size pieces you prefer (Again, I prefer mine about the size of a dime). Keep flipping the smaller pieces until they have completely turned on the outside and are firm. Remove the pan from the burner, and transfer the meat to the pot using a slotted spoon. Allow all the grease to drain from the spoon before you put the meat in the pot. Pour off the grease in the frying pan, and repeat until you have used all the ground chuck. When you are finished, pour any remaining chopped peppers and onions into the pot. Again, each time you add meat to the pot, adjust the consistency with water if necessary. Now, everything is in the pot, and it is the perfect consistency. Now, it's time to adjust the spices. If you haven't been doing so, you should begin tasting the chili. If you want a stronger chili flavor, add more chili powder 1 or 2 TBS at a time. To make it more spicy, add black pepper 1 TBS at a time. If you want it to have more bite, add crushed red pepper 1 tsp at a time. If it needs salt, add salt 1/2 TBS at a time. Stir thoroughly each time you alter the flavor, and continue cooking for at least 5-15 minutes before tasting again. ALWAYS sir the pot thoroughly before you taste. Continue altering the flavor until it's perfect for you. Remember the half of the raw onions and peppers that were added directly to the pot? They will tell you when the chili is done. When the raw onions in the pot start to turn clear, turn the burner off. Do not overcook the peppers and onions as they add a wonderful sweet crisp texture to the chili. If you can stand it, allow the chili to sit covered for about an hour to allow the flavors to mature and mingle. Stir and serve. If you prefer, reheat a portion of the chili in a smaller pot and serve bubbling hot. Allow the remaining chili to stand in the original pot until it cools enough to place in containers and freeze. There you have it. Perfect chili. Just the way YOU like it. The second secret that makes perfect chili fit for a king is in the serving. While perfect chili is in a category all by itself, it can be wonderfully enhanced by making it into a meal that rewards all your tastes and senses. Hot, cold, sweet, spicy, sharp, flat ... something for every aspect of your culinary pallet. With that in mind, let's plan the meal. To begin with dispense with the ordinary salad and add something with more zest and contrast. To accomplish this, there is nothing finer than an ice-cold fruit plate served with bubbling hot chili. For the fruit plate, you will need the following ingredients. 1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks. 1 29 oz. can of peach halves (heavy syrup preferred) 1 29 oz. can of pear halves (heavy syrup preferred) 1 6 oz. jar of red maraschino cherries 1 6 oz. jar of green maraschino cherries 1 samll jar of spiced crabapple rings crisp cold lettuce jalapeno pepper-jack cheese Put all of the ingredients in the bottom of the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (48 hours would be better). Just before serving time, remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and drain all the fruit. Divide the pear and peach halves equally on six salad plates covered with a bed of cold crisp lettuce. Fill in around the fruit halves with pineapple chunks and crabapple slices. Spread the cold red and green maraschino cherries equally over all the fruit plates, and line the outer edge of each plate with bite-size nuggets of jalapeno pepper-jack cheese. Fill the bowls of chili straight from the bubbling pot. Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Finish with a light dusting of chives. Serve the fruit plate and chili with hunks of hot buttered garlic bread and sweet iced tea. For dessert, follow up with pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, or hot blueberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream ... served with steaming cups of strong black coffee. Oh! My! Perfect chili can be more than just stick-to-your ribs "down home" cooking. It can be a culinary masterpiece that produces such delicious complementing and contrasting flavors and sensations that it is quite literally "Fit for a King". Bon appetit! Copyright 2004 by John Foutz All Rights Reserved John Foutz has been marketing quality internet products since 1999. His latest offering "Cat Head Biscuits and Garlic Fried Chicken" represents Southern cooking at it's finest. 180 mouth-watering dishes that are family tried and tested. Authentic heirloom recipes from the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeGourmet.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Recipes - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even on the hottest days. For those who like to have a little protein with there salad, both grilled chicken or shrimp go well with this dish. Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes You will need:1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mixFrostingSprinkles or other decorations of your choiceDirections:Prepare cake mix batter according to directions, or make any standard cake recipe batter (i. Home Made Ice Cream Recipe for Coffee Can Ice Cream The very best thing about having birthday cake is the ice cream that goes along with it. This delicious home made ice cream recipe can be made with a few simple ingredients and a couple of coffee cans. Spanish Recipes - Tempting Tapas Dishes Spain is famous for its tapas and, whichever Spanish bar you frequent, in whichever area of the country, you are sure to find them.So, what exactly are "tapas" and where did the name come from?Tapas are, essentially, snacks and the word literally means "cover". Ice Cream In A Baggie Yes, it sounds dangerous and the potential for messes seems highly likely, but you'll be surprised at the good, "clean" fun you'll enjoy when you make ice cream.This recipe is enough for one person to make a dish!1/2 cup milk1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 tablespoon sugar4 cups crushed ice4 tablespoons salt2 quart size Zip-loc bags1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer baga hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Oregano Dressing - Good for Allergies An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyAs the weather becomes warmer our bodies naturally turn to lighter dishes and raw foods. Here is an excellent dressing that is a great alternative to the sugar -based dressings located in most grocery stores. Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't a difficult decision as I wasn't a voracious carnivore to begin with, however there were a few dishes that I missed that contained meat and wondered how I was going to live without these favorites. Wonderful Holiday Recipe Ideas The Holiday Season is upon us and soon we will be frantically searching for yummy recipes to serve our family and friends. Many of the leading food manufacturers have spent 1000's of hours testing and perfecting recipes for you to enjoy. Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce Chicken wings with oyster sauce Servings: 3-4Ingredients: 12 chicken wings½ lb. Chinese broccoli1 green onion (sliced to ½" length)1 slice ginger (diced)1 Tablespoon soy sauce½ teaspoon salt½ Tablespoon rice cooking wine Seasoning sauce #11 cup water½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon sugar1 pinch of Szechuan peppercornSeasoning sauce #22 Tablespoons oyster sauce¼ Tablespoon sesame oil½ Tablespoon cooking oil Cornstarch paste½ Tablespoon cornstarch½ Tablespoon water Directions:Cut the chicken wings in halves at the joint to make 24 pieces. Superb Melt In Your Mouth Rolls SERVING SIZE,one roll (of 18). CARBS PER SERVING,: 2. Provence Steak Recipes Want an international flair for your steaks? Try a Provence steak recipe. These are delicious steak recipes that anyone will enjoy if they like meat at all. Frugal Microwave Cooking Microwave cooking can save you time and energy all year long. But it is especially nice in summer because it enables you to cook hot meals without heating up your home. How to Make a Seductive Chili Dedicated Chili cooks always seem to be looking for an amazing recipe for a blow-you-out-of-the-water chili. Wouldn't it be exciting to UNLEASH your chili and rock your family and friends' worlds, save money and have a great time preparing it?Searching the Internet, I found so many of you looking for new chili recipes. Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it. Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very easy. Low Fat, Low Carb Baked Tortilla Chip with a Mango Salsa Dressing Many low fat low cholesterol recipes are usually bland and un-flavorful but you can find some unique and tasty treats on our website that are full of flavor.Here are a couple of low fat low cholesterol recipes that are just great for sitting around watching television. Finding the Best Recipes Trying to find a dynamite recipe to wow guests or cook up a special supper for your special someone? Finding the best recipes is simple. First, perform a careful analysis of the situation for which you are cooking to narrow down the search. Noodles Different cultures have their own way of taking some water and mixing it with an all-purpose flour, a rice flour, a wheat flour and adding either barley, buckwheat,soybeans,seaweed or tapioca. After combining whatever ingredients are used with the type of a chosen flour, they work the dough on a floured surface, roll the dough out and let it dry. Easy, Tasty Chicken Wing Recipes You can serve chicken wings hot or cold, for a meal, or for snacks. They're great as appetizers at parties, or when you're just looking for a tasty midnight snack. Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet! The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of non-veg food like red meat and is now opening arms to Vegetarian Food. A very common myth found among common man is that vegetarian food doesnt provide you with necessary nutrients but a Vegetarian Diet, in no ways, is deprived of necessary nutrients, only if you have a balanced Vegetarian Diet. Low Carb Christmas Enchiladas! FELIZ NAVIDAD..
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
