Cooking Chili

[biggandyy]

Just wondering what special ingredients you use to make your chili stand out from the rest of the pack?

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

Sugar

 

[biggandyy]

White or brown or molasses?

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

White or brown or molasses?

Usually brown ..... but have used white with good results. Have even used molasses.

Everybody try it some day ..... make your own special recipe chilli ..... set some aside in a smaller pot and add bits of sugar and test as you go ..... what a difference sugar makes ..... not necessarily makes it sweet .... but completely changes the flavor (very much for the better).

Chilli spices and tomato sauce always have a bit of a bitter or acid edge to them .... the sugar tames it and adds to the spice and tomato flavor

.... same as kidney beans .... not very tasty by themselves .... great in chili .... and fabulous in chili with a bit of sugar added.

and of course chili is best after simmered for a long time to let the flavors assimilate .... even better reheated next day .... I make a big pot .... portion out the leftovers in bowl size containers and freeze some for another day.

I also only use regular ground beef and do not drain off the fat .... the lean stuff is way too dry for making decent chili.

 

[Brother James]

Finely cut chunks of steak rather than ground beef. Ever try baker's chocolate or cocoa? Don't laugh until you've tried it...

 

[HammerStone]

My wife has always made a mean turkey chili. I kinda view turkey as a secret ingredient, but it usually has to do with using some fresh vegetables as well, I think.

 

[Jenn]

My husband puts peanut butter in his chili. It's one of those spousal things you come to accept but never really understand.

 

[Eltanin]

I definitely agree with Arnie on the sugar thing...

I use brown sugar, and the day I started my chilli has been everyone's favorite.

I also like to use some ground cumin and a couple of bay leaves for some added undertone... Not many people do that around here...

When it is done, we top a bowl off with some Rotel/Velveeta dip and eat it with Tostitos or Frito scoops...

Aww... now I want to go make chilli...

 

[aussie]

If you have trouble keeping the chillie dish from being too hot, here is a tip for you.
put in as many chillies as you wish, uncut, test the dish as it cookes and when it reaches the desired level of fieryness, takk all the chillies out and continue the cooking til completed.

 

[biggandyy]

No such thing as "too hot" for me But thanks for the tip, everyone else always cries when they eat my chili...

 

[country_lad]

Adding a vanilla bean or two makes an amazing batch of chilli

 

[biggandyy]

The entire bean or just the seed from the bean?

 

[country_lad]

Split it open from top to bottom and put run the knife down the inside to get the paste out. I put the pods in too because they are so darn expensive I want to get every drop of flavour out of them, but you will want to find and remove the pods once the chilli is done

 

[Angelina]

I've never had chili. We have the little red bean type things that people usually have in a pate or a dip...nothing like what this thread is describing anyway. :huh:

 

[biggandyy]

Do Ya'all serve your chili over mashed taters? It's terrific!

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

I nearly always like veggies and potatoes with my meat or chicken or turkey etc

But for chili I just eat it with buttered toast.