Image by Brett Hondow from Pixabay
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Chili always makes me think of two things; chili cheese dogs or chili cheese tater tots during the summer. In the winter with two feet of snow on the ground, spaghetti red is one of my favorites. For me, chili is so universal.
Ingredints
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tbl garlic
- 2 cans of tomato sause
- 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chile
- 1 bottle of beer
- 1 tbl chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
- 1tbl Worcestershire sause, optional
- 2 tsp liquid smoke, optional
* Another alternative is putting roasted diced green chiles or pickled chile in the chili. I bought some Hatch green chiles from a website called the Hatch Green Chile Store. I am not sponsored by them. I am just a lover of their product. I add some of those and a can of regular diced tomatoes and Yummy.
You will need a 5-quart pan. I make my chili in a dutch oven or my deep cast iron. What you use is entirely up to you and what you have in your kitchen. I start off by heating my dutch oven at about medium heat. Put the ground beef in the oven and cook until there is no pink. You will need to strain the beef.
Now at this point, you can do one of two things. You can leave a little bit of the grease in the bottom to saute the onion and garlic or you can use the oil. Both of them work. I have been known to do both and what you do is again entirely up to you.
Saute your onion and garlic. Stir so that they do not burn. After the onion is translucent, add the tomato sauce and diced tomato. Stir the mixture. Then open the beer. I pour the beer in the cans of tomato sauce to get out the remaining sauce. Be careful. If you fill it too fast, it will bubble up and overflow. Pour the contents into the mixture and stir.
It’s time for spices! Now if you have read any of my other recipes you will know I season everything to taste. The measurements above are a guide. You can always add but you can not subtract. Add the chili powder and the cumin. I said above that the cayenne is optional. If you like a little more kick to your chili, I would recommend it. If not, you can leave it out.
Lastly, the Worcestershire and liquid smoke. They are also optional. I like the flavors they bring. They both bring a little bit of smokiness to the chili and depth. After everything is in the dutch oven, you will need to let it simmer for a while. I like to make mine earlier in the day. The longer that you leave it to cook the better the chili does. If you don’t have the luxury of time, then let it simmer for about an hour. Enjoy and have fun!
Feel free to comment and share. Tell me what you think? Is it yummy or what?