Paulie's Chili

Chili is a very yummy and easy dish to make. You can usually wing it with what you have on hand as long as you have some basic ingredients. For basic chili you need the following ingredients:

Tomato puree
Tomato paste
Kidney beans
Onions
Peppers
Garlic
Hamburger
Chili powder
Sugar
Salt
Vinegar
Hot sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (evoo)

Optional:
beer

If you use these ingredients you can make a tasty and hearty chili.

The fun part of making chili is altering and varying these ingredients to make your own signature chili. The following is a list of suggestions for each ingredient:

Tomato puree:
you may use any kind of tomato sauce you have on hand. I prefer to use canned tomato puree because it is unadulterated by any kind of spice or salt. I prefer to add salt and spices to taste and you may as well, but even a jar of spaghetti sauce works in a pinch.

Tomato paste:
Not absolutely necessary but tomato paste helps to thicken the sauce and give it more tomato flavor.

Kidney beans:
You may use any kind of bean that you like. If I use kidneys I prefer the dark red skinned variety. Dark red kidneys have a skin that is firmer than light red kidneys and will not turn into mush after simmering. I also like to use black beans and pintos. If you use dry beans remember that they must be soaked overnight in a pot of water. Canned beans are more convenient but are packed in salt and water. If you use canned beans remember to pour them into a colander and rinse them thoroughly to remove the goop in which they are packed. There will still be some salt in them but much less than if you hadn't rinsed them.

Onions:
Onions are very important to the flavor of your chili. You will want to dice them fine. Any onion will suffice though there are many different kinds. When they are in season I prefer Vidalia onions. They are very sweet and flavorful. Red onions are very strong. Experiment and find your favorite onion.

Peppers:
Very very important to the flavor of your chili. Again experiment but be careful. Some peppers are so hot that they may make your chili inedible. Habeneros are about 1000X as hot as jalapeños and jalapeños are very hot indeed. Chipotle peppers are smoked and add a very interesting quality to your chili. Banana peppers and bell peppers are usually mild. Chili peppers are very hot. The seeds are the hottest part of your peppers so if you leave them in your chili will be hotter. Caution: do not touch your eyes or mucus membranes after handling peppers. Wash your hands thoroughly after even thinking about touching a habenero! (You should wash your hands often while preparing food in any case.)

Garlic:
If you only have garlic powder you can use it just keep in mind that fresh ingredients are always better. Peel and mince your fresh garlic and squash it between the cutting board and your knife to express the essence. You can also find minced garlic in jars, this is an easy option if you are don't feel like taking the time to mince your garlic.

Hamburger:
I like to experiment with different meats as well. Try ground turkey, sausage, chorizo, cubed top round or chuck, ground pork, or even chicken. Sauté (fry) your meat until it is COOKED THROUGH (especially pork products) before adding to your chili. I prefer to include the pan drippings in my chili but for less fat you may pour the fat off (never into the sink) Pour it into an empty bean can or on your dog's food for a treat for Fido. You will eventually clog your sink if you pour fat down the drain.

Chili powder:
Chili powder is basically a combination of Cumin, Paprika, Cayenne and salt. Cumin is what gives Mexican food it's unique flavor. It is very pungent but not hot. Paprika is a mild pepper and cayenne is a hot, hot red pepper (go easy on the cayenne). I prefer to use the separate spices instead of chili powder so that I can control how much of each I put into my chili. Chili powder makes the spicing process easier.

Sugar:
Sugar is important because it takes the bitter edge off of the tomatoes. Ketchup is mostly tomatoes and sugar. You don't want your sauce to taste like ketchup so use the sugar sparingly. Your chili should not be sweet but also not be bitter. You may also use honey if you like to go “Au natural.”

Salt:
Salt is also a very important seasoning to balance your chili. Salt will help to take the edge off of your tomatoes as well. Like sugar don't overdo it. You should not taste the salt in your chili.

Vinegar:
Vinegar is an integral part of hot sauce. If you use hot sauce you don't necessarily have to use vinegar but if you spice your chili well you shouldn't need hot sauce. Vinegar is very tangy. You use it to give your chili a kick. Different vinegars have different qualities. White vinegar is very sharp. Malt vinegar is thick and malty. Apple cider vinegar is very sour. Red wine vinegar is usually light and sharp. I prefer to use Balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is very dark and winy. It can also be very expensive. Experiment.

Hot Sauce:
There is a HUGE variety of hot sauces. Some are very hot and some are very flavorful. You can choose a hot sauce to help in creating a signature chili. Be careful, some hot sauces are so potent that even a single drop can ruin a pot of chili.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
You will use this to sauté your meats and veggies. Evoo is very flavorful and low in polyunsaturated fat.

Beer:
I love to cook with beer. It really gives food a great flavor.

ON TO THE RECIPE!



This recipe is for about a half a pot of chili. If you want more just double the ingredients

1 lg can (usually about 29oz) Tomato puree
1 small can (usually 6oz) Tomato paste
1-2 15 oz cans (dark red) Kidney beans (black beans, pinto beans...)
1 medium to large onion
1 green bell pepper (you may use any color bell pepper. The difference is subtle)
1-2 Jalapeño peppers
2 cloves garlic (or 1tsp garlic powder or 2 tsp minced garlic)
1 lb hamburger (or ground turkey, chorizo, sausage....)
1 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2-4 Tbs Vinegar
Hot sauce to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (evoo) to sauté in
½ can beer (6oz)

mince and express garlic. Set aside.
dice onion. Set aside.
dice peppers. Set aside. (remove seeds from peppers if you want your chili to be more mild)
Rinse canned beans in colander. Set aside.

Open tomato puree and tomato paste. Set aside.

Add 1 Tbs evoo to large frying pan and set heat to medium-high
sauté meat until cooked thoroughly.
Turn off heat.

Add 1 Tbs evoo to large stockpot and set heat to medium-high
add onions and garlic and sauté about 2 minutes.
Add peppers and sauté about 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low and add:
tomato puree
tomato paste (use a spoon or rubber spatula to get it all)
Beans
meat
Chili powder
sugar
salt
vinegar
beer


Stir your chili thoroughly to mix all ingredients. Be sure to stir from the bottom of the pot all the way to the top.

Drink the other half of the beer while you cook. (If you like)

Simmer chili for 30 minutes to 1 hr. (or more) the longer your simmer your chili the more flavor will infuse into it. Don't simmer it too long. The peppers should not be firm but the beans should not be mushy.

Be sure to keep the temperature on low and to stir your chili frequently to keep the bottom from burning.

Cook to taste! Frequently taste your chili to test for “doneness” and flavor. If the chili is too bitter add more sugar and salt (in minimal amounts). If it needs more zing add more vinegar. Not spicy enough? Add more chili powder and/or hot sauce. Not done yet? Simmer longer.

By all means experiment! Cooking should be intuitive and fun. Try adding more meat or beans. Change up the pepper combination next time. You will soon arrive at your signature dish.

Remember to be vigilant. Nobody likes burned chili – stir, stir, stir.

Serve your chili with cornbread or rice or.....

Serve Sour cream and shredded cheddar on the side

This recipe will serve 3-6 people

Have fun cooking and remember to clean up as you cook.