I call this my Number 1 Chili because there’s nothing second rate about this. It is really fabulous. Rich and meaty, with a nice deep heat that doesn’t overpower it, and with plenty of beans, onions, celery and green pepper. It’s a one pot meal, and is quick. It takes about 45 minutes to make, but we like to let it sit and cook for a couple of hours to really get the chili flavor through the meat and vegetables. We like to serve this in bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped onions and corn chips. Or on a baked potato or sweet potato! (Note that you can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the meat and adding in two cans of black beans, along with the other beans.)
Here’s how to make it. (Recipe is at the bottom.)
Brown 2 pounds of ground beef over a medium flame. Use a nice heavy wide pot.
I used 90/10 Angus (so 10% fat), but you could go as high as an 85/15 chuck (15% fat). Either way, pour off the fat after browning.
Add 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes in tomato juice. Don’t drain it! That juice is important to the flavor of the chili! (Instead of adding extra water, you just poured in a nice tomato water. Extra tastiness, for free!)
Add a 7 oz can chopped green chiles (or chopped jalapeños if you dare). You can slice up a spicier pepper from your garden if you like (I grow lots of different spicy peppers and freeze them in quart sized freezer bags just for this purpose. I love to use stuff I grow myself!).
Add:
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup of chopped celery.
I buy these three frozen, already mixed in a bag they call Seasoning Blend. Check your frozen vegetable section. They may only have this here in the South, so you may have to buy fresh vegetables and chop it up yourself. If you use Seasoning Blend, use 2 cups.
Add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce
Add two 15 oz cans of dark red kidney beans and two 15 oz cans of pinto beans. Don’t rinse the beans. That water is very starchy and will help thicken the chili.
Stir that up a bit.
While it’s starting to look like chili, it won’t taste like it. Now it’s time to add the spices.
Add:
- 3 T ground cumin
- 6 T chili powder
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 T onion powder
- 1 T fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon beef base/bouillon. I use Better Than Bouillon, and it is fantastic. I highly recommend it. Most grocery stores carry it. It’s about $5.00 for an 8 oz. jar, but will last you a year or so, just taking out a teaspoon at a time.
Add 4 cups water. I like to just use the tomato can to measure it.
Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, and then pull out a spoonful and taste it. Is it too tame? Add a teaspoon of ground red pepper or some hot sauce, stir it in, then cook it for another five minutes. Take a clean spoon and taste it again. Keep adjusting the flavors until you have it just like you want it. Remember that the longer it cooks, the more concentrated the flavors will become, because that steam is water escaping from the pot.
Cook on medium low heat to low heat for 2 hours. Stir it regularly to prevent it from sticking. The color will darken considerably over that time. That’s what you want to see: a deep burgundy chili.
Serve in bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese and chopped onions. Jalapeño cornbread would be great on the side…
… or serve it in baked potatoes (it’s great over sweet potatoes, too)!
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
- 7 oz can chopped green chiles or chopped jalapeños
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- ½ cup of chopped green pepper
- ½ cup of chopped celery
- 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- Two 15 oz cans of dark red kidney beans
- Two 15 oz cans of pinto beans
- 3 T ground cumin
- 6 T chili powder
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 T onion powder
- 1 T fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon beef base/bouillon
- 4 cups water
- Brown two pounds of ground beef over a medium flame. Use a nice heavy wide pot. I use 90/10 Angus (10% fat), but you could go as low as an 85/15 chuck (15% fat). Either way, pour off the fat after browning.
- Add a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes in tomato juice. Don't drain it!
- Add a 7 oz can chopped green chiles or chopped jalapeños if you dare.
- Add 1 cup of chopped onions, ½ cup of chopped green pepper, and ½ cup of chopped celery. I buy this frozen, and it’s called Seasoning Blend. They may only have this here in the South, so you may have to chop it up yourself. Check your frozen vegetable section. If you use Seasoning Blend, use 2 cups.
- Add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce.
- Add two 15 oz cans of dark red kidney beans and two 15 oz cans of pinto beans. Don’t rinse the beans. That water is very starch and will help thicken the chili.
- Now it’s time to add the spices. Add 3 T ground cumin, 6 T chili powder, 1 T garlic powder, 1 T onion powder, 1 T fresh ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt.
- Add 1 teaspoon beef base/bouillon. I use Better Than Bouillon, and it is fantastic. I highly recommend it. Most grocery stores carry it. It’s about $5.00 for an 8 oz. jar, but will last you a year or so, just taking out a teaspoon at a time.
- Add 4 cups water.
- Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, and then pull out a spoonful and taste it. Is it too tame? Add a teaspoon of ground red pepper or some hot sauce, stir it in, then cook it for another five minutes. Take a clean spoon and taste it again. Keep adjusting the flavors until you have it just like you want it. Remember that the longer it cooks, the more concentrated the flavors will become, because that steam is water escaping from the pot.
- Cook on medium low heat to low heat for 2 hours. Stir it regularly to prevent it from sticking. The color will darken considerably over that time. That’s what you want to see: a deep burgundy chili.
- Serve in bowls with sour cream, cheers and chopped onions, or serve over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. Jalapeño cornbread would be great on the side.
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