Chili Con Carne

     Chili Con Carne is such a universal dish to share with people. A humble meal with as many ways to cook it as there are people who make it.

      This Wonderful Hearty and sometimes spicy dish is famous for its versatility. Cooking a pot of Chili for a party or reheating a bowl on the BBQ it’s a campers dream. If you’re lucky you can sneak some Vegetables in for your kids to eat.

      There are so many Chili Recipes to choose from how do we decide. I DON’T KNOW lol, but i do know my family enjoys mine so hopefully you will too. Mine is stick to the ribs amazing plus simple to make it can even taste better the next day.

My Attempts Over the Years

      I have made dozens Chili’s over the years. From Chicken to Pork to Beef even Duck some with all fresh ingredients and some with whatever was left in the fridge and cupboard. I’ve used different combinations of meats and made Chili from mild to blow the roof off the top of your mouth. Once, by accident, I made a Chili so hot my wife couldn’t even eat it and she loves spicy food. We made every attempt to thin it out add more ingredients like sugar and cream to calm it down but to no avail.

      Since then I pay a little more attention to the amount of heat I am adding. I learned you can add more heat later but it  is very hard to remove it, like wood working ” measure twice cut once”. I have managed to create a recipe that appeals to all the palates in my house which is no easy task.

The Ingredients & Prep

      So here it is, my version of that beautiful, hearty stick to the ribs meal Chili Con Carne. There is very little prep but still do your “Mise en Place” and have everything ready before you start cooking. Cut up all your Vegetables, measure your spices into a bowl, get your Tomatoes, Beef Stock,Beer and Beans ready.

      I don’t go fancy on my Beef, I buy what ever is on the shelf in the meat department. My Red Kidney Beans and Tomatoes are right out of the can.

      When it come to the Beef, Beans and Tomatoes there is an opportunity to add flavour. A more tender cut of Beef like Brisket or Short Rib or a combination or Beef and Pork is Delicious. Fresh Tomatoes and Kidney Beans reconstituted in water and stock will add a fresher taste. I stick with off the shelf cans and pre-ground Beef because it saves me time.

      Plus it is still damm delicious with a beer and Crusty Bread. Come to think of it good Crusty Bread is probably just as important as every other ingredient.

Print Recipe

Chili Con Carne

Prep Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 Lbs Ground Beef
• 3 Tbsp Bacon Fat or Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion Diced
• 1 Green Pepper Diced
• 1-2 Celery Sticks Diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed & Chopped
• 28 oz Canned Tomatoes
• 2 Beers One for the recipe one to drink
• 2 cups Beef Stock
• 2 14 oz liq Kidney beans With Liquid
• 1 Green Chili Cut in half

Spices

• 1/4 cup Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Celery Seed

Garnish Options

• Cilantro Chopped
• Sour Cream
• Cheese Cloby, Jack, or plain Cheddar
• Crusty Bread The Crustier the better

Instructions

•       Start by cooking the meat and setting aside. By doing this we start to build some flavour in the bottom of the pot that everything else will soak up.
•       Don't be afraid of heat here, we want to get our pan hot then add 1 Tbsp of Fat or Oil, let that heat up then add our Beef. By doing this we will get better browning therefore more flavour.

  If your Beef starts to stick to the bottom of the pan don't panic, splash a little Red Wine, Bourbon or Beer in the pan and scrape the bottom bits off. The Acid in the Alcohol will will help pull up all the  brown bits before they burn.
•       Remove the Beef from the pan and add the remaining Fat or Oil, let it heat up again then add the Onion.
•       Allow the Onion to get slightly translucent then add the Pepper,Celery and garlic. Cook until the celery and Pepper start to look shiny all over. If the Vegetables start to stick to the pot do the same thing as before. Splash a little Beer or other Alcohol in the pan and stir.
•       Now we can add the Tomatoes, Beer, Beef Stock, Green Chili and Spices into our pot.
•       Stir everything together and let all those ingredients hang out and get happy together for about 5-10 minutes. 
•       Add the Kidney Beans and their liquid along with the Meat and simmer  on low covered for about 30-45 minutes.

Notes

      This Recipe is also good in the Crockpot. Simply cook the meat on the stove top as before, throw the Vegetables into the meat and cook for about 5 more minutes. Then put everything into your Crockpot in the morning, and set on low. Buy some beautiful Crusty Bread on the way home from work and enjoy.