I’ve made this chili for a few years now.. of course slight changes will always happen, but it’s damn good..<\/p>\n
\u00a0I got the basis of this from \u00a0Nichael Cramer’s\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0site.. INTRO<\/strong><\/p>\n I’m assuming that you don’t know any more about cooking than I do, which as anyone In any case, if you stick through to the end, pay attention, and don’t get Now one of the first things you’ll probably notice is what’s not included At the other extreme there are those who insist that Real Chili[tm] contains OK, so first let’s talk about the stuff you’ll need…<\/p>\n THE BASIC Meat: Vegetable matter:<\/p>\n 4 large onions<\/p>\n 2 large cans whole tomatoes (the ones about 3in in diameter)<\/p>\n 2 medium cans tomato sauce<\/p>\n 2 small cans tomato paste<\/p>\n 3 large stalks celery<\/p>\n 2 large green bell peppers<\/p>\n 6 or 7 large mushrooms<\/p>\n 1\/2 beer<\/p>\n Liquid smoke<\/p>\n Spices: 2 or 3 large cloves of garlic<\/p>\n salt, coarse-ground pepper, oregano<\/p>\n 1oz Salsa [Note Miscellany:<\/p>\n Cooking oil, water.<\/p>\n IMPORTANT NOTE:<\/strong><\/p>\n The above ingredients are for a HALF BATCH. Note that this is still a lot of THE POT<\/strong><\/p>\n The chili pot is typically the most underrated player in the whole routine. First the pot has to be big. My pot –which, again, I use for the half batch Second the pot has to be heavy<\/em>. Cast iron or some One final note: If you can get yourself one of those old wooden spatulas or PREPARATION<\/strong><\/p>\n So first (obviously) we got to get our stuff read to cook.<\/p>\n 1]<\/strong> Chop up the vegetables (onions, green peppers, celery). Mushooms (thick The bigger the cutting board and the knife, the better.<\/p>\n I like to chop these up pretty small. I mean, don’t get carried away, 1\/4in The real problem here is the onions. They don’t seem to bother some people Wash the green peppers, cut out the stems and dice them. Finally be sure to Put all this stuff in one big bowl.<\/p>\n 2]<\/strong> Chop up the stew meat.<\/p>\n This should be left pretty chunky. The ground beef, once it has cooked down Cut this into about 1\/4 to 1\/2 inch cubes (remember that it’s going to cook 3]<\/strong> This is good time to open your cans.<\/p>\n This will save time later while you’re throwing stuff in the pot.<\/p>\n 4]<\/strong> Finally split the chili pepper in half, lengthwise.<\/p>\n TIME TO START COOKING<\/strong><\/p>\n 1]<\/strong> First take one of your cloves of garlic [Note 5]<\/strong><\/a> 2]<\/strong> Put a couple of tablespoons of the cooking oil (I just use regular 3]<\/strong> Put the pot on a low heat and add the garlic and half of the chili 4]<\/strong> Once the oil starts to sizzle a bit, stir the Turn the heat up a bit and keep stirring. You’ll know you’ve cooked them 5]<\/strong> Now it’s time to start adding the meat. Turn up the heat to high 6]<\/strong> With the heat still high, stir in the chili powder and the tomato (I find that the easiest way to get all of the paste out is to first open 7]<\/strong> Now add the salsa (1 tsp), salt and coarse-ground pepper.<\/p>\n The salt and pepper are art of personal taste. I like a lot of salt — 8]<\/strong> Finally add the cans of tomatoes. Half a beer\u2026 few drops of (Some folks recommend adding an extra canfulof Also notice that putting the tomatoes (with all that water) in last helps 9]<\/strong> Stir the chili up well (breaking up the tomatoes if they need it).<\/p>\n 10]<\/strong> Chop up the remaining garlic (1 or 2 large cloves) and sprinkle (Here’s another decision point based on personal taste. I prefer to let my 11]<\/strong> Let the chili simmer for a few hours (3-4 is probably a good CRITICAL ==> Becareful it doesn’t stick to the Fry up the mushrooms separately with a couple tblspns <\/p>\n 12]<\/strong> This is the secret ingredient (and the hardest part): Refridgerate overnight. This seems a waste now, but this SERVING THE CHILI<\/strong><\/p>\n Reheat the chili over a moderately low heat and serve in big, hefty bowls.<\/p>\n Keep the coarse-ground pepper handy in case some folks want to fine tune. (I Needless to say you’ll need lots<\/em> of something cool to drink. Long VARIATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n Stangelyenough, meat is probably the biggest Another thing some people swear by is to add something sweet to the chili. A Well, that should do it for now. Enjoy. Let me know how it goes.<\/p>\n NOTES:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a>[Note 1:<\/strong> The designation “World’s Second <\/p>\n <\/a>[Note 2:<\/strong> And can only be truly enjoyed when eaten in <\/p>\n <\/a>[Note 3:<\/strong> Gebhardt’ Eagles Brand <\/p>\n <\/a>[Note <\/strong>4 <\/strong>: Salsa, if you <\/p>\n <\/a>[Note <\/strong>5 <\/strong>: Garlic. This <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 29JUNE96<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve made this chili for a few years now.. of course slight changes will always happen, but it’s damn good.. \u00a0I got the basis of this from \u00a0Nichael Cramer’s\u00a0\u00a0site.. The World’s Second Greatest Chili Recipe \u00a0 The World’s Second Greatest … Continue reading
\nThe World’s Second Greatest Chili Recipe
\n\u00a0<\/p>\nThe World’s Second Greatest Chili
\nRecipe [Note 1]<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n
\nwho’s ever tried anything I’ve ever made (excepting, obviously, chili) will
\ntell you is as close to nothing as one guy can get. So the following is written
\nin very<\/em> basic instructions. It’s not that I’m trying to patronize you,<\/span> I just don’t know how to explain most of this stuff any
\nother way.<\/p>\n
\nimpatient, you’ll not be disappointed with the results.<\/p>\n
\nbelow. There are no beans and there is no pasta (e.g. macaroni, spaghetti, or
\nwhatnot) in this chili –or for that matter in any other real chili. Recipes
\nthat include such abominations are more properly classified under the rubric
\n“Hamburger Soup”.<\/p>\n
\nonly two ingredients; meat –the older and tougher the better– and chilis[Note 2]<\/strong><\/a>.
\nNow I’m a purist but I’m not a fanatic. Tomatoes and onions have their place.
\nFinally I’m not one for overly hot food. Don’t worry this chili is plenty of
\nspicy. On the other hand I’ve never understood the point of food that hurt. But
\nwe’ll talk more about this later.<\/p>\n
\n
\nINGREDIENTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n4 lbs lean beef (2 lbs. ground beef –the more coarsely ground the better– and
\n2lbs stew beef)<\/p>\n
\n1 3oz jar Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand Chili powder [Note 3]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
\n4]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\nchili. If you’re adventurous (and have sufficient resources –see the
\ndiscussion about the Pot below) and wish to try for a full batch double the
\namount of meat and increase the other ingredients to about 1 1\/2 to 2 times the
\namounts listed above. The real trick here is cooking that much chili at once. Which leads me to a very important topic…<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nMost of these points should seem obvious, but it’s amazing what some people
\nwill try (and having been through most of these diasters<\/span>
\nmyself… well, just trust me on this one).<\/p>\n
\nrecipe– holds about 5 to 6 quarts filled to the brim. This allows for a
\ncomfortable fit with the half-batch, but not a lot of room to spare. Save
\nyourself a lot of grief and check you pot now to make sure it’s big enough. You
\ncan try<\/em> splitting the batch up into a couple of smaller pots, but I’ve
\nnever had much luck with this. Chili seems to require a certain “critical
\ncooking mass” to taste right.<\/p>\n
\nsuch.<\/span> The chili is going to be cooking and simmering for a long time and
\nneeds a uniform, constant heat. Using your Mom’s big old canning kettle is the
\nsurest road to disaster I know. Likewise avoid aluminum like the plague. Don’t
\ntry to rationalize this away by telling yourself you’ll keep stirring the chili
\nso it won’t burn. This won’t work. I know, believe me, I know.<\/p>\n
\npancake turners, you find it real handy.<\/p>\n
\n
\nsliced)<\/p>\n
\nchunks should be fine. The idea here is that once they’re cooked down they’ll
\njust dissolve into the matrix of the chili, all very zen-
\nlike.<\/p>\n
\n(e.g. my wife) but they near to kill my eyes. I have an old pair of motorcycle
\ngoggles that I use for woodworking that I wear when chopping onions and that seems
\nto help. My aunt used to swear by holding a burned match between her teeth.
\nFolk remedies abound here. Try what works for you. The best I can suggest to
\nspace them out. Chop an onion, then chop the green
\npepper; then an onion then the meat… etc.<\/p>\n
\nget rid of the celery leaves (they can be really bitter).<\/p>\n
\nwork great for the “paste-y” portion so the stew meat will by the
\n“meaty” part.<\/p>\n
\nfor quite a while so it will be pretty tender by the time you eat it). Get as
\nmuch of the grissle and fat out as you can –there’ll
\nplenty there without it.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n, peal it and dice it up as finely as you can. Once you are done, lay the flat
\nof your knife on the chopped peices<\/span> and “crush”
\nthe garlic.<\/p>\n
\nold vegetable oil) and coat the bottom and –this is important– sides of your
\npot. (I usually just take a paper towel and wipe it around the inside). The
\nbottom should have a nice layer of oil.<\/p>\n
\npepper.<\/p>\n
\ngarlic and pepper around for a minute or so, then pour in the onions, bell
\npeppers and celery.<\/p>\n
\nlong enough when the onions become sort of limp and glossy looking
\n(“transparent” is the technical term).<\/p>\n
\nand put in a quarter of the meat and keep stir and turning the meat until all
\nthe pinkness is gone from the meat. Repeat, until all the meat is cooked.<\/p>\n
\npaste and tomato sauce.<\/p>\n
\none end of the can. Then, while holding the can over the pot, opened-end down,
\nuse the can-opener to start opening the top end. When you’ve finished making
\nthe circle all the way around the can, push on the now-free top lid and the
\npaste should start sliding out of the can, more or less in one
\n“tube”. This is usually a lot easier –and a lot more efficient–
\nthan digging the paste out the can. Lastly don’t forget to take the can’s lid out
\nof the chili.)<\/p>\n
\nusually about 1 1\/2 heaping teaspoons (actually I use a small scoop in the palm
\nof my hand). The amount of pepper is a good way to control the
\n“hotness” of the end result. As I say above, I tend toward the milder
\nend of the spectrum; I usually go with 3 or 4 good dashes. In short it’s always
\neasier to add more later if needed than to take it out
\nif you put in too much.<\/p>\n
\nliquid smoke..<\/p>\n
\nwater at that is point. I usually skip this. On the other hand, remember that
\nthe chili is going to boil down quite a bit.)<\/p>\n
\nkeep down the mess caused by splashing.<\/p>\n
\nit on top. Give a good, healthy dusting of chopped parsely.
\nFinally stick the remaining chili pepper half into the chili and turn the
\ntemperature down to a good simmer.<\/p>\n
\nchili simmer uncovered. The problem is that if the chili is too near the top of
\nthe pot and there’s a lot of bubbling and splashing this can get pretty messy
\naround the stove. On the other hand, if you put a lid on the pot it can heat up
\non you pretty fast. So play it by ear.)<\/p>\n
\nminimum). Keep it at a nice slow simmer (one or two small bubbling points is
\ngood sign) and stir it every 15 minutes or so.<\/p>\n
\nbottom of the pot and burn.<\/p>\n
\nof oil, until they get juicy and cooked.. poor them and the juice into the pot<\/p>\n
\ndoes wonders<\/em> for the flavor.<\/p>\n
\n
\nlike to eat my chili using salteen crackers
\nas\/instead of a spoon, but this probably just a personal quirk.) Coleslaw is
\nusually a good side dish. Another personal favorite around our house is grilled
\ncheese sandwhiches. Something sweet also goes well
\nwith the chili –a good excuse for making big cakey
\nchocolate brownies.<\/p>\n
\nnecks are traditional, but my personal favorite is Dr Pepper.<\/p>\n
\n
\nvariable here. I don’t think, for example, pork would work very well, but some
\nfolks have claimed to have had a lot of success with various game meats. I
\nhaven’t had much experience with that, but I have made some nice chili with
\nturkey (particularly useful for when fixing a batch for friends who can’t –or
\nprefer not to– eat beef).<\/p>\n
\nproffessor I once had used to dump in canned peaches.
\nAnother guy I know suggested chocolate. I’ve never tried any of this, but I
\nhave to admit that the idea does sound interesting.<\/p>\n
\n
\nGreatest” should not be taken to imply that better chili can be found
\nanywhere else or under any circumstances. However, the Chili Gods look askance
\non (unmerited) hubris and one must always take care not to draw down their
\nwrath.]<\/p>\n
\nbar with a pickled armadillo –I’m not making this up– on the shelf behind the
\nbar.]<\/p>\n
\nChili Powder is the best chili powder I know. It really is special and the
\npowder is one of the most important ingedients in the
\nchili. Unfortunately Gebhardt’s seems to be only
\navailable in Texas;
\nI don’t know if you can get it else where. If you can’t get Gebhardt’s
\nyou’ll just have to experiment. I don’t know what else to tell you. Sorry.]<\/p>\n
\ndon’t know –which I didn’t when I started– is a spicy tomatoe<\/span>
\nsauce. As Texmex\/Mexican food makes its way
\nincreasingly into mainstream culture this becomes easier to find, so check your
\ngrocery store. On the other hand lots of people like to make their own (like
\nAlbert) so check your friends, too.]<\/p>\n
\nsounds like an old joke, but just in case… A clove of garlic is the small
\npiece, about the size of the last segment of your little finger. The whole
\nthing –the cluster about the size of an egg– is called a head. Don’t get the
\ntwo confused. More than one person has made that mistake.] <\/span><\/p>\n
\n