This weekend marked the official end of summer. Looking around I see nothing to indicate this as truth. I just ate the juiciest nectarine yet this year. Mosquitos are definitely still hanging around (particularly my ankles, but that’s another story). And Monday, at the parade everyone seemed rather comfortable in their semi-nudity.
Nonetheless, something in my soul told me it was time for chili. Actually, it wasn’t my soul, that’s a lie. It was the hunky fireman in the supermarket the other day who bellowed in a deep grumbly voice to a friend “Hey, let’s get some shredded cheese for the chili. That’ll look nice”. Ok wait? More importantly than the fact that this dude was making chili in 85 degree heat was the fact that he was concerned with the proper garnish for his season-incongruous soup. I sorta loved him. So, I figured what better way to express my admiration for the manly Martha in him, than by making some chili myself. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him I was inspired. I simply stole his ideal.
Like a couple other recipes on here, this one I made up as I went along. I was largely inspired by the fairly comprehensive Mexican aisle at the local market. I knew I wanted to have a number of condiments to be able to play with and then just make a pretty standard chili. It required a fair bit of tinkering and a remarkable lack of precision, but I must say, the finished product was nothing to scoff at. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was mighty fine-- though I must confess, I’m fairly curious to know what the fireman’s chili tasted like.
As a side note, I had been planning to make pulled pork this day. After changing my mind I accidentally still took home a bag of coleslaw mix. I decided to Mexicanify it. Recipe for that follows as well.
The Un-Fireman Chili
1.5-2lbs ground beef
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 15oz cans red kidney beans, drained
1 green pepper, coarse chopped
1 yellow onion, coarse chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chile powder
1 T oregano
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t cayenne
2 bay leaves
2 T pickled jalapeno peppers, minced, brine reserved
2 T olive oil
Garnish: Mexican crema, cotija (dried crumbly white cheese), cilantro, lime, white onion, rice, hot suace
1) Heat oil over medium high heat in large pot. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef from pot and set aside. Drain some fat from pan, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons.
2) Add onion, garlic, pepper and jalapeno and allow vegetables to sweat and soften slightly, approximately 5 minutes.
3) Add all spices, 2 T of tomato paste and bay leaves, stirring to coat veggies well. Cook until aromatic, about 5 minutes.
4) Add diced tomatoes and some of the jalapeno brine (to taste) and simmer for 3 minutes.
5) Return meat to pan, add beans as well. If it looks dry add 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover.
6) Simmer on the lowest possible heat for as long as you have patience for, but at least 30 minutes. Add water as necessary if it looks dry, though it should definitely be thick.
6-8 servings
Mexican-ish Coleslaw
1 16oz package shredded coleslaw mix
2 T mayonnaise
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/4 chopped cilantro
2 T pickled jalapeno, minced
1 T lime juice
1) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes in the fridge to let flavors mingle.
4-6 servings
No comments:
Post a Comment