Chili season has arrived

[salemj]

Did some chili last night. I make it different every time, but one of my favorite versions is cubed beef with white beans (and sometimes black beans, too, although white beans really add a wonderful creaminess to the mix that accentuates the texture of the braised beef). This batch I did both black and white, and also added a bit of bell pepper for color and contrast. Otherwise, I generally stick to a mix of fresh and (mostly) powdered peppers—I reserve the dried chilis for taco and mole specifically.

BTW: are all you guys from Texas?? I actually lived there for nearly five years and, well, I'm sorry but it seems to me that the only reason to apologize for using tomatoes or beans is if you've never left the state. Haha!

As for the noodles: I'm from Cincinnati originally and grew up eating Greek chilis...which, after Skyline, are now associated with 3-ways (pasta and cheddar cheese, similar to above) and Coney dogs (hotdog with chili and cheddar on top). Something special about those combinations, for sure! But they don't work so well with chunky chilis as they do with Greek style, which is essentially like a fine marinara but without the tomato base.

[b11lf]

I'm originally from Wisconsin - and grew up eating it with pasta (on the bottom) and of course it being Wisconsin, topped with cheese. Oyster crackers was common too.
The pasta shells was something my parents did, instead of spaghetti, at it stuck.


I don't think I've ever even had chili WITHOUT tomatoes and beans.

[Mike9]

Chili season indeed!!! -9 here this morning with a WC of -16. I'm glad I thawed out some venison yesterday because I was thinking chili, but ended up making a "chili/ragu/bolognese hybrid . . . and it's delicious.

A spoon stands up in it -


I needed a thickener, but didn't want to make a roux, or use a starch - Hmmm . . . "cracker meal" - perfect - and makes a great topping too.

[jacko9]

Cheez-it what a great idea for a thickener!

[keithmarder]

Just made some two days ago. Not for the chili purist... especially how it served, but that's my favorite way!

If you insist!



hot off the press,
it 'twas the time of year again for my day after Christmas Chili



tried tossing in brisket this year - was going to let it go for 5 to 6 hours, but ended up letting it simmer for 9+ hours :drool:




ingrediants for gods chili by B1LF, on Flickr




arbys we got the meats by B1LF, on Flickr






added a habanero this year, as well as these red peppers (what are they called? they were really hottt) - also added a few good squirts of that habanero sauce later during the testing / spices phase


heat by B1LF, on Flickr







not too sure when this was taken, but I think it was pretty early on, probably right after I added the beans and corn, which I do after an hour or two


somewhere into the 9 hour simmer by B1LF, on Flickr








always put buttered pasta shells on the bottom of the bowl (about 1/3 pasta, then fill with chili, then top with a solid layer of sharp cheddar cheese, oyster crackers partially crushed, sour cream, and green onion --- no fresh chives available this year).



buttered shells by B1LF, on Flickr








result - not very picture worthy in terms of 0 visibility of the actual chili - was drooling over this and didn't snap a pic with a proper spoonful. whoops




bowl o goodness by B1LF, on Flickr

Best part about making chili is the seasoning/tasting/stir - check back & taste - season more stir - etc, process.

I ended up adding a ton of extra heat - I love the idea above about charring up some peppers and blending them; then having that on hand to add to the pot.

Great Bitters collection

[Carter]

Earlier this past week the forecast called for a dreary weekend....so I was thinking a good Chili would be in order. Then on Wed, I was watching Food Paradise and the episode was on Chili....cool. They started in Tx with traditional chili and then moved around the country showing regional variations. They hit on Cincinnati and showed that mess over spaghetti...seen it a number of times over the years, was initially grossed out, but have become a little more tolerant as I age, but still have a hard time understanding that concoction.

We decided to have friends over on Sat and my wife suggested I do something real simple, it had been a long week....she said how about some pasta, spaghetti & meatballs or something similar. I said I was thinking chili, and then I enlightened her and told her about the Cincinnati version of chili....she was like hell yeah! So, I took the plunge....won't be allowed in Tx for years now.

I searched for Skyline's recipe and found several versions that didn't jive with me, but then I saw one on Epicurious that looked good. I made it and it was a hit, everyone loved it. Don't think it will replace regular chili, but it will be repeated. When I was at the store getting the necessary fixings, I thought this was like meal at a diner. I was going to get some ice cream and cookies for desert, but then had a change of thought....what do you eat at a diner for desert....pie. Got a Marie Callender's Dutch Apple and some Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean.....it was the bomb!

Looking forward to leftovers today........