You don’t have to follow a recipe to make a good chili, but a few tips and a secret ingredient make this one great.
Some people call this Chile Con Carne which simply translates to Chili with meat. This recipe has lots of meat so it definitely qualifies. Although it’s a popular cold weather dish, I like to make it when tomatoes and vegetables are in season too. So, in addition to lots of meat, there are also lots of vegetables so you’re not just making a big pot of meat sauce. But don’t worry bean lovers, this one has some too.
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How to make the best Chili
Start with bacon fat. Yup, bacon fat! It adds a smoky element that works great in chili. (Some of us old school people might actually save bacon fat and keep it in a mug in the fridge!) But if you prefer, just use any oil to sauté the veggies. Why sauté first? It softens and slightly sweetens them so the flavours aren’t as sharp.
Next, the vegetables. At the very least, use onion and peppers and maybe mushrooms if you like. And definitely garlic. But consider a variety for a more interesting and even healthier Chili. Instead of just onion, add some leeks too. Green peppers are ok but peppers come in other colours too. And levels of heat. Jalapeños are fairly mild and have an authentic tex mex flavour, but you could try some hotter peppers if you can take the heat!
You can make Chili with all ground beef but a mixture of beef and pork are my go to meats. Make sure to brown the meat, otherwise you’ll be missing out on some good flavour. Steaming and boiling meat just doesn’t cut it. And to avoid burning the garlic, add it last and give it a quick cook only, otherwise it can add a bitter taste to the dish.
There are a variety of tomatoes that come in cans. You can buy crushed, chopped or whole tomatoes of different varieties. The best quality tomatoes are the ones that are canned whole so they’re my first choice for Chili. During the cooking process they’ll soften and you can squash them to help them break down. In addition to canned, use some chopped fresh tomatoes. If you’re feeling really ambitious you can slice the tomatoes in half and roast them face down to intensify their flavour and reduce the amount of liquid.
To complete the Chili, add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. The amount of cayenne is totally up to you. Somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp is about novice to medium heat. If you’ve used real hot peppers, the amount can be modified accordingly. Drain the beans and stir them into the mixture.
The secret to great chili
So here’s my secret ingredient….cocoa powder. Yes you heard me right. Don’t tell anyone else. It adds a depth of flavour and colour and doesn’t taste like chocolate. Cocoa and chili are complementary flavours. Ask a Mexican.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. You’ll have a very thick mixture, especially if you’ve roasted the tomatoes. So, add a can of beer. Depending on how thick you like your Chili you can add all of it or some of it. The amount of liquid will reduce as it cooks so keep that in mind. If you don’t want to add alcohol you can add beef broth or club soda. Or non alcohol beer which I’ve heard isn’t too bad.
Cover the pot and simmer for about an hour, stirring often. It will get a bit darker and thicker as it cooks. You can also slow cook the Chili in the oven for a few hours. It will be even better the next day.
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions if desired. If you make homemade Chili, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp bacon fat or oil
- 1 medium onion or half onion and half leek
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red, yellow or orange pepper or any colour combination of 2 peppers
- 8 large mushrooms optional if desired
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 small hot peppers such as jalapeno or hotter peppers if desired
- 1 lb medium ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, roasted if desired
- 1 can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp cumin
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper more or less as desired
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 can beer
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- sour cream
- shredded cheddar cheese
- minced green onions
Instructions
- Rinse and chop onion (and leeks if using) peppers and mushrooms.
- In large oven proof pot melt bacon fat or heat oil. Add chopped vegetables and saute until soft but not brown.
- Add beef and pork and cook until meat is browned. Add garlic and cook for a short time, do not burn.
- If desired, arrange chopped tomatoes on a large baking sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes until liquid is reduced. Otherwise, simply add chopped tomatoes to meat mixture and bring to a simmer. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste and Worcestershire. Stir in cumin, chili powder, cayenne, cocoa powder and salt and pepper. Taste to ensure desirable amount of salt.
- Drain beans, rinse well and drain. Add to meat mixture.
- Add beer. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for at least one hour. Stir frequently. Chili can also be slow cooked in the oven for about 2 hours.
- If desired, garnish with any combination of sour cream, minced green onion and shredded cheddar cheese.