Chili is the chameleon of foods, and I've accumulated so many recipes over the years that I've decided to put them in on one long page. As of this writing I've only tried one, the Best Ground Beef Chili (Cook's Illustrated) recipe. It was a little strange but also outstanding, see below for my full notes on it.
One of the biggest challenge with many of these recipes is that they call for a wide array of dried chili peppers, many of which I've never heard of; the "World Champion" recipe below, which I will probably never make, calls for three different dried chili peppers, as well as a specific type of garlic and four different chili powders. Most grocery stores in my area have virtually no selection of dried chilis. However, recently an enormous "Hy-Vee" mega-grocery store opened, the largest in their chain - 50% bigger than any of their other stores. So I went there hoping to find at least Ancho chili peppers, which are fairly well-known, for a relatively simple recipe. Turns out they have pretty much all the other dried peppers too. I now have the opportunity to up my game…
One more note, this page only contains my beef chili recipes. I have other chili recipes (chicken, pork, black bean, etc) that are still filed individually.
Chili. New York Times
Cincinnati Chili Serious Eats
Cincinnati Chili Washington Post
Original Texas Chili Con Carne
The Office Chili
Slow Cooker Chili (Omaha World Herald)
Slow Cooker Chili (Another Version)
Tex-Mex Chili (Washington Post)
Weeknight Chili (Washington Post)
Chili (Washington Post, huge batch)
Best Ground Beef Chili (Cook's Illustrated)
Ultimate Chili (Cook's Illustrated)
Tyler's Ultimate Chili (Food TV)
World Champion 2005 Chili
Texas Beef Chili (Epicurious, via Reddit)
A basic chili. This is a PDF, click here for the recipe.
Cincinnati Chili is a specific thing. The Serious Eats writeup in particular makes it out to be a different product altogether from regular chili. The author evidently grew up in Cincinnati and has eaten the classic versions at local restaurants. Among other things, they trash the idea of chocolate as a secret ingredient. Instead, their "secret ingredient" is active dry yeast of all things. They also throw out some of the regular rules for cooking: for example, they say do NOT brown the hamburger. They also say do not sautee the onions or garlic, just add them raw. The cheese topping must be light and stringy, grated on the small holes of the typical box cheese grater, and grate on the long side of the cheese block to get longer strings. And, Cincinnati chili is not meant to be eaten stand alone, it is a topping almost always for spaghetti, and the spaghetti should be slightly over-cooked. And by the way, do not twirl the spaghetti with a fork and spoon, cut it into shorter pieces. Overall this is one of the weirder recipes I've found, mostly because it is extremely specific.
Oh, and one last thing - it has to be served on an oval plate.
This is a PDF, click here for the recipe.
And, here's another version, which WP got from "The Joy Of Cooking". The writeup for this says "readers who have trouble squaring this chocolate-laced spaghetti topping with their notions of what a chili ought to be: We suggest you think of it as a Macedonian Bolognese sauce instead".
This is a PDF, click here for the recipe.
From Serious Eats. Obviously, any recipe that claims to be a genuine version, especially Texas Chili, is going to get a ton of whiners trying to impress everyone about how the recipe is all wrong and they know what real Texas Chili is. Idiots. There is, of course, no single "official" recipe for Texas Chili.
Click here for the Serious Eats Texas Chili Con Carne recipe.
From WP, Strange history, it's descended from an episode of "The Office" where the character Kevin Malone (actor Brian Baumgartner) spills an entire pot of his pride-and-joy chili. Baumgartner in time became known as "the chili guy". Although an avid cook Baumgartner had never made chili, but he has since published a collection of chili recipes. This is one he developed from bits and pieces.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, canola or other neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), chopped
1 large green bell pepper (7 ounces), seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 pounds lean ground turkey or ground beef (90 percent lean or higher)
One (6-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
One (24-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
One (16-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 cup water, plus more as needed (optional)
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
One (16-ounce) can Bush’s Pinto Beans in Mild Chili Sauce, undrained
One (16-ounce) can Bush’s Kidney Beans in Mild Chili Sauce, undrained
Shredded cheddar cheese, avocado chunks, chopped red onion and/or pickled jalapeños and sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions, green bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are just translucent, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until still slightly pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the meat is cooked through and the paste darkens a bit, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, if using, chili powder, oregano, ancho chile powder, salt, sugar and black pepper until well combined, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until heated through and at the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Also, you can add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you think the chili is too thick.
4. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with your choices of cheddar cheese, avocado, chopped red onion, pickled jalapeños and/or sour cream and serve.
From the Omaha World Herald. The article said it was originally posted in the Baltimore Sun.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup chopped onions
1 green or red pepper, chopped
2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large skillet, brown 2 pounds ground chuck. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to slow cooker.
2. Wipe out the skillet and sauté 1 cup chopped onions, 1 chopped pepper and 2 to 3 ribs chopped celery in 1 tablespoon olive oil just until tender. Add to slow cooker with the meat.
3. To the slow cooker, add 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Stir well to combine.
4. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours on low setting.
Another one I found online.
Ingredients
2 lb lean Ground Beef, (90/10 or 93/7)
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
30 oz kidney beans, two 15oz cans, drained and rinsed
30 oz diced tomatoes, with their juice
10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilis, with their juice
30 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté beef until it releases fat (4-5 minutes), breaking it up with a spatula. Add onion to the skillet and sauté until tender (4-5 minutes). Add minced garlic and seasonings: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another 30 seconds stirring constantly. Transfer to a 6 Qt slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients into the slow cooker: rinsed and drained beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, diced tomatoes and green chilis with juice and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Season to taste if desired and serve warm.
From the Washington Post.
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cubed or cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound lean ground pork or lean ground beef
Kosher salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded then coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño pepper (seeding optional)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mild or hot paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon sauce from canned chipotles in adobo, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
28 ounces canned, crushed, no-salt-added tomatoes
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
4 cups no-salt-added beef broth
30 ounces no-salt-added, homemade or canned pinto beans (drained and rinsed, if using canned; about 4 cups)
Sour cream, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Crushed tortilla chips, for garnish
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chunks of beef. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the meat releases from the surface. Stir so the meat begins to brown on all sides, then add the ground pork or ground beef. Season lightly with salt and black pepper; cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring, so the ground meat browns and loses its raw look and its juices evaporate.
2. Clear a space at the center of the pot; add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then the onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño pepper, stirring to coat. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently to keep them from scorching.
3. Clear a space at the center again; add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, adobo, cumin and oregano, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring a few times, to form a thickened mixture.
4. Stir in the broth; once the mixture starts to bubble vigorously, reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the beans. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a low boil; cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally; for a thicker chili, add up to 15 minutes to the cooking time. Taste, and add adobo, salt and pepper as needed.
5. Divide among individual bowls. Serve the sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and scallions at the table, so guests can garnish their own portions.
Simple, but with one very annoying ingredient: one AND A QUARTER lbs of ground beef. Which means you're stuck with 3/4 lb ground beef, since hamburger is alomost always sold in full-pound amounts. .
Ingredients
2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 6 ounces)
1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 stalk celery, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 teaspoons mild chili powder, plus more to taste if desired
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste if desired
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (80 percent lean)
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, with liquid
1 cup water
1 dried bay leaf
4 to 6 slices day-old crusty Italian or French bread, for serving (optional)
1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Resist the urge to stir frequently, so the vegetables have time to caramelize a bit.
2. Add 3 teaspoons of the chili powder, the salt, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Push the vegetables to the outside edges of the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and place the ground beef in the center. Use the edge of a wooden spatula or spoon to break the meat into roughly 3/4-inch chunks. Sear the beef until it begins to brown on the bottom; don't stir it until the beef sears and you see steam rising. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink.
3. Add the tomato sauce and the beans and their liquid. Fill the tomato sauce can with 1 cup water and add it to the pot along with the bay leaf. Bring the chili to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Taste; add another 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicier chili or 1 teaspoon chili powder for a deeper flavor. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the largest pieces of carrot are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
4. If serving over bread, tear 1 slice of bread into 3/4-inch pieces and place in the bottom of each wide, shallow soup bowl. Ladle the chili on top; serve hot.
This makes a very large amount of chili.
Ingredients
4 pounds (80-20) ground beef
1 cup flour
7 cups no-salt-added beef broth
5 tablespoons pure chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 medium yellow onions, cut into small dice (2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Instructions
1. Place the meat in a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-low heat. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the meat is evenly browned, with no trace of pink remaining, stirring as needed.
2. Seat a large colander over a wide mixing bowl. Transfer the browned ground beef to the colander. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, so the fat and juices thoroughly drain into the bowl. Return the drippings to the pot, over low heat.
3. Slowly whisk the flour into the pot to form a roux with the consistency of a thick, smooth cake batter. (You might not have to use all the flour; that's okay.) Add the broth, whisking as you go to get rid of any remaining lumps.
4. Combine the chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin in a small bowl, then whisk into the now-looser roux until well incorporated. Add the onions and garlic, stirring and and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot as you go.
5. Return the drained ground beef to the pot, stirring until well blended. Increase the heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring vigorously and occasionally, until the onions have softened. Once the chili's done, it will have an almost-chocolate brown sheen.
6. Remove from the heat; use right away, or cool to below 90 degrees before storing. (The chili retains heat, so you may wish to portion it in containers and seat them in ice to help the cool-down.)
I have madet this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Their writeup says it is intensely flavored and should be served with tortilla chips and/or plenty of steamed white rice. Other recommendations for toppings are avocado, sour cream and shredded Monty Jack.
My take on it: it doesn’t have a consistency like normal chili, it is very very thick similar to baked beans (similar in consistency, not in content or flavor). However it is absolutely delicious, one of those dishes where it’s hard to put the leftovers away because you just stand there in front of the fridge and eat it with a spoon. I don’t really agree with their warning that it’s intensely flavored, actually the flavor was great, just a hint of heat. I used it as a topping for chili dogs.
The recipe calls for dried ancho chilis, stemmed seeded and torn into pieces. They are then toasted in a hot dutch oven, dumped in a food processor with all the other spices and pulverized into powder – essentially, you’re making homemade chili powder.
This was my first experience with dried anchos so I was concerned about how easy that is to do, but it worked fine. Dried anchos have a consistency like dried prunes, they’re kind of leathery and slightly sticky, easy to tear apart. They smell great when they’re being toasted in the pan and were also easy to grind with the other spices in the processor. The resulting powder was fragrant and delicious, and may be useable in other applications. It makes a lot of chili powder.
One last comment, the recipe calls for mixing the ground beef with water, salt and baking soda and letting it sit for 20 minutes before frying it. The writeup says this helps tenderize the beef. It is true that the chili has a very tender texture, the beef isn't hard or chewy at all. That might be another technique worth re-using.
Ingredients
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons plus 2 cups water
Salt and pepper
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1—2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Lime wedges
Coarsely chopped cilantro
Chopped red onion
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place anchos in Dutch oven set over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if anchos begin to smoke. Transfer to food processor and let cool. Note from Joe - this left burnt sticky dots in my dutch oven, in fact I washed it before proceeding and they were very hard to scrub off. I may have had the heat too high. They still worked fine anyway. They smell great while they're being toasted.
3. Add tortilla chips, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, thyme, and 2 teaspoons pepper to food processor with anchos and process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. Process tomatoes and their juice in now-empty workbowl until smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring with wooden spoon to break meat up into 1/4-inch pieces, until beef is browned and fond begins to form on pot bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Add ancho mixture and chipotle; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add remaining 2 cups water, beans and their liquid, sugar, and tomato puree. Bring to boil, scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat is tender and chili is slightly thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
6. Remove chili from oven and let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in any fat that has risen to top of chili, then add vinegar and season with salt to taste. Serve, passing lime wedges, cilantro, and chopped onion separately. (Chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
From Cook's Illustrated. Here are their notes:
This recipe requires some advance preparation (soaking dried beans, toasting whole chilies, and browning 3 batches of meat), but it’s well worth it. Instead of an overnight soak, you can “quick brine” the beans: In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. In our opinion using Dried Ancho and Arbol chilies yields a vastly superior chili. Dried New Mexico chilies or Guajillo chilies may be substituted for the Ancho chilies. Depending on desired spice level adjust the amount of Arbol chilies. Alternatively cayenne pepper (¼- to ½-teaspooon) can be substituted for the Arbol chilies. If dried chilies are unavailable substitute ½ cup of chili powder (our favorite brand is Spice Island) and cayenne pepper. To ensure a yield of 4 pounds of trimmed meat it is necessary to buy 5 pounds of steak roast. A 5 pound chuck roast, well trimmed of fat, can be substituted for the steaks. Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
Table salt
1 pound dried pinto beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
8 dried Ancho chile peppers (about 1 ¾ ounces), stems removed, seeds
removed, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
3 to 6 dried Arbol chile peppers, stems removed, pods split, seeds removed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cocoa
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
4 jalapeno chilies, stems and seeds removed and discarded, flesh cut into ½-
inch pieces
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or passed through a garlic press (about 2
tablespoons)
1 (14-1/4 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon light molasses
5 pounds blade steaks, 3/4-inch-thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 (12 ounce) bottle lager
Instructions
1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Adjust rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place Ancho chilies in 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently, until flesh is dry and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if chilies begin to smoke. Transfer to bowl of food processor and cool. Do not wash out skillet.
3. Add arbol chilies, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt to food processor with toasted ancho chilies; process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. With processor running, very slowly add 1 cup broth until smooth, thick paste forms, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer chili paste to small bowl. Place onions in now-empty processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped, about five 1-second pulses. Add jalapenos and pulse until consistency of chunky salsa, about five 1-second pulses, scraping down bowl as necessary.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until any exuded moisture has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Add chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses; stir until chili paste is thoroughly combined. Add remaining 3 cups broth and drained beans; bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Add third of beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer meat to Dutch oven. Add ½ cup lager to skillet, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Transfer lager to Dutch oven. Repeat two more times with remaining oil, beef, and lager. Once last addition of lager has been added to Dutch oven, stir to combine and return mixture to simmer.
6. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until meat and beans are fully tender, about 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and serve with desired condiments. (Chile can be made up to 3 days in advance).
Tyler Florence FoodTV. On the show Tyler paired it with a corn pudding (actually a souffle); put the pudding in the bottom of the dish and spoon chili over. Many reviewers said it's really excellent this way.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef shoulder, cut into large cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 onions, diced
10 garlic cloves, halved
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/2 cup masa harina
3 cups shredded white Cheddar, for garnish
2 bunches chopped chives, for garnish
1 1/2 cups sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Season the beef shoulder all over with salt and pepper, add it to the pot and brown it. As it's browning stir in the chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, oregano and cinnamon. Lower the temperature under the meat to "toast" the spices.
2. In a food processor puree the onions, garlic, chipotle peppers, jalapeno, tomato paste and sugar and add it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium to steam vegetables a little and sweeten the peppers.
3. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, about 1 quart, and add tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is fork-tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water, if necessary.
4. When done, stir in the masa harina. Take a potato masher and mash the chili so the meat comes apart in shreds. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish each serving with the shredded Cheddar, chives, and sour cream.
The 2005 World Chili Champions were held in my home town of Omaha. For information regarding the International Chili Society, check out their website ( click here to go directly to their recipes from other years). Like many ("most") chili recipes, the biggest concern would be finding the relatively obscure chili peppers. An additional VERY odd thing about this recipe is the instructions that repeatedly say to "boil". I'm really thinking he means "simmer", but the recipe evidently comes from some old geezer who probably isn't used to traditional cooking terminology.
Ingredients
6 ounces regular breakfast sausage
2 teaspoons Wesson Oil
3 pounds tri-tip beef, cut into small pieces or coarse ground
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1/4 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoon cumin
7 cloves Gilroy garlic
2 tablespoons Gebhardt® chile powder
1 tablespoon hot chile powder
1 tablespoon mild chile power
5 tablespoons red chile powder
1 can (8 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
1 can (10 ounces) Ro*Tel® Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
3 Dried California chile peppers, boiled and pureed
1 Dried New Mexico chile peppers, boiled and pureed
5 Dried Cascabel chile peppers, boiled and pureed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Juice of one lime
salt to taste
Instructions
1. Brown the sausage dry and set aside. Heat oil in a pot, and brown the beef. Add the cooked sausage to the pot. Add the onion and beef broth to cover the meat. Boil for 15 minutes.
2. Add oregano and half of the cumin. Reduce heat to a light boil, and then add the garlic. Combine the chile powders into a mixture, then add half of that mixture, and cook 15 minutes.
3. Add the tomato sauce and Ro*Tel with the puree from the dried peppers. Add the chicken broth for the desired consistency. Cook for one hour, stirring often.
4. Add the remaining chile powder mixture and the remaining cumin, and simmer for another 25 minutes on low to medium heat. Turn up the heat to a light boil, and add the Tabasco, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, lime juice and salt.
Found this on Reddit, it appears to have originated with the Epicurious website. It looks extraordinary but does require finding a fairly wide variety of dried peppers. Note the "GifRecipe" at the bottom.
Ingredients
4 ounces dried ancho chiles (about 9 chiles)
2 ounces dried guajillo chiles (about 7 chiles)
2 ounces dried pasilla chiles (about 10 chiles)
2 ounces dried chipotle chiles (about 8 chiles)
8 to 12 dried chiles de árbol
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon plus 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon honey
7 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
6 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons masa harina, recommended but optional (see Cooks' Note)
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
Lime wedges, sour cream, chopped red or white onion, jalapeño, and/or cilantro, for serving
Instructions
1. Heat a large, dry skillet over high heat and toast peppers in batches, until browned in spots but not burned, 30 to 45 seconds per side. Toast garlic cloves in their skins in the same skillet, tossing, until browned in spots, about 3 minutes.
2. If chiles are dusty, rub them gently with a damp paper towel. Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Place chiles de árbol in a small heatproof bowl. Place all other chiles in a large heatproof bowl. Pour very hot water over chiles until submerged and let soak for 45 minutes, placing a plate on top of chiles to keep them submerged if necessary.
3. Peel garlic cloves and place cloves in blender. Add all the soaked chiles except for the chiles de árbol along with 4 cups of the soaking liquid. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and honey. Purée until smooth. Taste and add chiles de árbol to your preference (start with 4 for mild or 6 for medium heat; add additional to taste if you would like more heat).
4. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, using a rubber spatula to press the purée through. Set puree aside.
5. In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of lard. Add 1/3 of the beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and lightly brown the meat, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl, reserve, and repeat with remaining 2 batches of beef, seasoning each with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Lower the heat to medium and add 1 more tablespoon lard. Cook the onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the chile purée and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until purée has lost its raw chile flavor, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, oregano, and the beef. Combine the masa harina with 2 cups water and add to the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until meat is tender and broth is thickened, about 3 hours.
Add sugar and vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting to see if the chili needs more. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow the chili to sit at least an hour and up to overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, onion, jalapeño, and/or cilantro.
