Superchili!
As I've written before, every time I move to a new state I attempt to master the local cuisine. I grew up on Georgia soul food, so I have the collards and deep-fried this-and-that down.
When I moved to Minnesota, mastering the cuisine was something of a challenge since, well, since there really isn't one. Cooking authentic Minnesotan meant you went to the state fair for fried cheese curds (something you can't really do at home). It also meant that I tried my hand at Thai and Indian food (since I don't do Lutefisk, and "hot dishes" or casseroles are antithetical to my cooking philosophy).
When I moved to Louisiana, I spent three years perfecting my gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and jambalaya recipes (all of which I am proud of).
Having lived in Texas for four years now, I've been working on my Tex Mex. As some of you know, this summer I decided I would experiment with making chili.
I know, I know: chili in the summer? I realize it's been triple digits for the last three months, but I see no written rule about avoiding hot peppers (I mean, jalapenos and other peppers tend to grow well in the hot months anyway). And besides, I'm making the chili to put on my delicious Tex Mex Chili Dogs. Summer is for chilidogs, right? Right. At least that's my reasoning and I'm stickin' to it.
I tried a number of recipes, mostly from Texas-specific cookbooks I purchased when I moved here. By combining what I liked and taking out what I didn't (e.g., tomatoes), I came up with this recipe, which is pretty tasty.
But I didn't stop exploring, and owing to my love of complicated recipes, I came across Lisa's "A More Precise Texas Chili Recipe" over at The Homesick Texan blog (she has lots of excellent recipes, too). I liked her combination of dried peppers in the chili, so I made it. It was a delicious chili, but sweeter and akin to a chili mole sauce (replete with the chocolate) rather than the spicy hot chili that so impressed me at an end-of-the-school year potluck in May. But I liked the darker look of this chili and the complexity of its smoky, dried pepper taste.
Then, of course, it donned on me to combine my standard recipe with Lisa's. I would make a . . . [don don da don!] SUPERCHILI! I carefully combined ingredients, trying out the different flavors. I couldn't find many of the peppers she used in her recipe, so I made a few substitutions. The first attempt at combination went well, although the chili came out slightly bitter and a little too sweet: I used Negro Modelo for the beer, which I think was a bit too dark, and too much chocolate. So, I changed the beer, nixed the coffee, and pulled back on the chocolate and, wallah! Baby Bear's SUPERCHILI was achived.
I'm going to share the SUPERCHILI recipe, however, just a few more comments before I let this amazing recipe loose upon the world. First: the flavors are complex and multiple, not singular in tone. If you don't like a lot of things going on in your chili, this recipe is not for you—go for the first one I mentioned above.
Second: it's not very good on the first day. This has something to do with the complexity of the flavors and the mellowing that happens the longer the chili sits. Owing to the dried peppers, the chili is slightly bitter the first day, but is less so the next day, and so on. Make it a day or two ahead of when you plan to use it. I've found after it sits in the fridge for three days it is simply divine.
Finally, a little bit of the Mexican chocolate goes a long way. I know it's tempting to think that more chocolate is better---I mean, it's chocolate! But don't give into temptation; only use a little bit and make you a cup of hot chocolate with the remainder.
Made with ground oregano, cumin, Mexican hot chocolate tablet, salt, masa harina, water, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo
Serves/Makes: 6
- 8 ancho chiles
- 8 chiles of various types such as pasilla, guajillos, etc.
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 1/2 pounds (or so) chili meat or lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 5 tablespoons quality chili powder (or more, to taste)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pint lighter beer, like Corona
- 1 1/2 cup Bloody Mary mix (Zing Zing or similar)
- 4 jalapeno or serrano peppers, chopped (or more, to taste)
- 1 tablespoon ground oregano (or more, to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- salt (to taste)
- 1/4 Mexican hot chocolate tablet, grated
***Optional***
- 2 tablespoons masa harina, dissolved in
- 2 tablespoons water
***Toppings***
- shredded cheddar cheese
- green onions, chopped
- pico de gallo
- cubed avocado
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Place the chiles in the skillet and turn to char on all sides. This is best done on an outdoor grill because it may cause a lot of smoke. You can also place them on a baking sheet under the broiler.
Once the chiles are charred on all sides, place in a large bowl with enough water to completely cover and let them soak. Make sure they stay under the water - use a plate on top if necessary to weigh them down.
While the peppers are soaking, cook the bacon over medium heat in a Dutch oven until it is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain.
Add 1/4 cup of the oil to the bacon grease in the Dutch oven. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring as needed, for 10-15 minutes or until it is browned. Add the chili powder. Crumble the bacon and add to the meat mixture.
While the meat is cooking, add the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic along with the remaining oil to another skillet and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.
Add the beer and bloody mary mix to the meat and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked vegetables, jalapenos, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste. Stir in the grated chocolate.
Drain the water from the soaking chiles. Cut the stems off and place the entire chiles in a blender along with a little water (about a cup). Puree until you have a thick, reddish paste. Stir the chile paste into the meat mixture.
Simmer the ingredients for 5 hours on low heat. If you would like a thicker texture, combine masa harina with water until smooth and stir into the chili during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Serve the chili topped with cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, a dollop of sour cream, some pico, and avocado cubes. Or better, use this chili for a chilidog or chili cheese omelet! Now that's SUPER!
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