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Chili con Carne
Chili is one of those dishes that can incite some passionate arguments, because when it comes to opinions on what should/shouldn’t be in a chili recipe, like ass holes, everybody has one (as the saying goes). Should it include beans? Meat? Tomato? Pasta (the answer to that, of course, is no and I don’t care where you come from
)? These are life or death decisions in the chili world. So given that, here’s my take on a good and hearty bowl of chili.

While this chili has a lot of familiar flavors, it does nonetheless include one very special ingredient. I’ve been hanging on to this item for a few weeks now, keeping it near and dear until the right dish came along and beckoned for it as I only had one handy. See, if I like anything in my chili, its some punch–chili is a dish that simply should (must!) have some heat to it. I’ve grown my own peppers for a while, and those were nice and all, but that’s just the everyday kind of heat. This is really special.

My special ingredient–one which I have simply been too afraid to even handle in the past few weeks I have had it in my possession–is not just any pepper, but the (drum roll, please) naga jolokia, also known as the hottest kind of pepper in the world. I received this as a home-grown and home-dried gift, both for consumption and for the seeds so I can get my own plant going (hence my reason for entering this post in this month’s Grow Your Own hosted by Andrea’s Recipes). Given the many uncomfortable slip-ups I’ve made with lesser peppers in the past (habanerno in the eye, etc), I was extra careful with this one…after I sampled one of the ribs, of course (hey, I had to know what I was working with, right?).

I tried to get a picture for you, loyal reader, which I suppose we could call “the after shot” before I scrambled for a drink. If I had to describe the flavor of this pepper, it would be a slowly growing, building, full heat that takes about 30 seconds or so to reach its peak, and then get comfortable, because it will be awhile before it leaves. It was really nice, in a masochistic kind of way. Obviously, this is one of those ingredients that may not appeal to everybody, but I haven’t the faintest idea why.
So anyways, on to the chili! The final result was delicious. Not screaming hot, but having sampled the naga before cooking, I could very clearly identify its heat and its contribution to the dish–ever present, ever building, and everywhere in your mouth. The beef was very juicy and tender, the beans firm, and the sauce very full bodied, sweet, dark, smoky, and really complex in a very seductive, chili sort of way. Everybody sat down, kind of so-so about having just a bowl of chili for dinner, but their faces lit right up on the first mouthful. This was really flavorful and my only regret was not making a bigger batch (why does good food always disappear the fastest?
).
- 1/4 lb thick cut bacon (5 or so slices of thick cut bacon)
- ~2.5 lb chuck roast (do not use ground beef)
- 2 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 stalks celery
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 bottle of dark/stout beer (I used a bottle of Guinness)
- 2 Tbsp good bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 dried naga jolokia pepper (I was being cautious–next time, I’d use a whole pepper)
- 3 dried red chilis (Indian, not sure of the proper name)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 poblano peppers
- 3 jalapeño peppers
- 1/4 tsp adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- can of kidney beans, drained
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar

So in the name of safety, the first thing I wanted to do was to deal with that hot pepper so that I could focus and be sure not to slip up in some stupid way with it later. I was careful to never directly touch the pepper–if you have gloves, use them (or at least napkins/paper towels). I slit the pepper in half (saving the other half for a future dish) and then toasted it in a hot, dry pan for about 3-5 minutes or so (be sure you have a vent on–it will smell good but could be quite irritating to your eyes and nose). If you have any other dried peppers you plan on using in this as well (I also had a few Indian chilis, wish I had some other varieties handy as well), deal with them in the same fashion now as well. The more, the merrier! Chili is about chilis, right?
The next step is grind this thing down so you can incorporate it into the chili later. If you have a small spice grinder, you’d powder it using that, but I have a food processor so it won’t grind it quite as finely (not that it bothers me at all). Also, I wanted to avoid any dried hot pepper powder going airborne (as should you!), so I poured in some of the beer before I started pulsing the food processor. Keep this going a few times to try to chop it up to small flakes/powder form and slosh it out of the food processor and into a bowl using the beer, not your bare hands. This is also a good time to open a second beer for yourself. Try to remember which is which.

Prepare all of the fresh vegetables up front to make life easier. Finely dice the shallot, celery, and garlic. Also, dice the fresh peppers up finely.

Now, for the item that sprinkles magical fairy dust on any dish: bacon. In a large dutch oven (this is where the chili will be cooked), get it to medium-high heat and cook the strips of bacon until done (depends on thickness, figure somewhere in the very rough neighborhood of no more than 10 minutes). Once the bacon is done, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside (later, when it has cooled off and you get a chance, dice it up into small bits). All of that wonderful grease it left behind is what we’ll be using for oil, so don’t you dare dump it down the drain!

While you’re waiting for the bacon to finish cooking, cube the slab of beef into roughly 1/2 inch chunks. Season the pieces a bit with salt, pepper, and cumin, rubbing it well onto all sides. Once the bacon is out and the grease is still hot, brown the beef.

You want to brown the beef in batches. The idea is to get some color on it and some flavor on the outside without cooking it all the way through–crowding will only result in steaming the beef, which is not what you want. So figure three or four batches will do. If the bacon grease runs out, add in a dab of canola oil as necessary–I never needed to, but not all pieces of bacon are created equal.
As you finish with the beef, set it aside for later.

Now, we need to sauté the vegetables. Ideally, you still have hot bacon grease, but if not, add some oil. Sauté the shallot for about 3 minutes, then add the celery for about 4 minutes, the garlic for about a minute, and finally, all of the remaining fresh peppers for about for 5 minutes or so. Do your best not to crowd and work in batches if you see fit.

Now, go for the pepper-spiked beer and pour it in, deglazing all of the browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Let this warm up for a few minutes before you stir in the chocolate, keeping it moving as it melts down so it doesn’t just burn on the bottom.

Now, add in all the remaining dry spices (oregano, cumin, Bay leaves, chili powders, etc), adobo, chopped bacon from earlier, and tomatoes (crush them in your hands as you add them in). Let this simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes so everybody can introduce themselves.
Once time is up, drop the heat to low, cover, and let this simmer gently for an hour.

Once time is up, pop off the cover and sample your creation. Tweak the spices as you see fit–want more heat? Add more chili powder. I found my chili was a bit too acidic, so I added brown sugar (maple syrup would also work as a complex sweetener). Stir it in, commit to your changes, and cover again, leaving this to continue simmering on low for yet another hour. Good things come to those who wait.
About 10 minutes before you expect the chili to be done, gently mix in the beans (either soaked from the night before or fresh out of the can, I won’t tell). This way, they get to simmer, heat up, and catch some of the flavor without becoming mush.

Finally, the moment is here: the beef is tender, the flavors united as one, and your stomach rumbling–yes, the chili is done. So bring a bowl and your appetite, shred some cheddar on top, and finish it off with dollop of sour cream. About an hour before this while I waited for the chili to finish simmering, I baked some cornbread muffins to serve on the side.
Enjoy!
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Posted by mike on February 11th, 2008 under Barbeque, Beef, Main course, Mexican, Pork, Soup & Stew16 Responses to “Chili con Carne”
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:47 am
This sounds delicious, especially as I sit here in 5-degree-F weather reading your post! Another way to deal with the super-hot chilies is to toast them whole, let them cool slightly, put them in a ziploc bag, and whack them with a rolling pin to crush them (in the bag). Then just pour into the pot, and you don’t have to touch the inside seeds at all.
February 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Now that’s cooking
February 11th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Hey Mike,
Your first naga jolokia pepper experience reminded me of the dinner I had last sat. We went to a new Mexican joint and they had a whole wall of hot sauce. of course, as a proud chilli addict, I went straight to the bottle labeled “Instant Death”. Boy, what happened in my mouth is something I’ve never experienced before (i can chew eat hot bird’s eye chilies without any problems). I started to cry spontaneously and grabbed the jug of sangria. I don’t know what helped - the liquid or the alcohol! My partner laughed non-stop when I told him the story later, he even said that my lips looked swollen. whoaaa… never be too proud, I’ve learned my lesson.
Back to your homemade Chili con Carne, it certainly looks and sounds more delicious than any I’ve seen at restaurants. Good for freezing too, which is a bonus for busy week days.
Nora
February 11th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Mike, this sounds (and looks) great. I absolutely love the picture of you! I’ll have to show this to my husband, he loves hot peppers. Keep us posted on how growing them works for you.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I had never heard of that naga jolokia pepper. Actually the picture of you is quite scarry, not sure I will try this pepper
I have to confess that I do use ground beef when I make Chili Con Carne (booh ! bad cook!).
February 14th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Lydia — definitely winter food! The bag/rolling pin method sounds like a pretty safe way of handling these guys and something I’ll keep in mind in the future.
Bellini — thanks!
Nora — haha, that sounds like quite a sauce! I know just what you mean. I love my hot sauces and peppers, and will gladly sample whatever I can get my hands on, whether its for better or worse. I’ve also had some of the swelling experiences, but I’d gladly do it again…just more cautiously.
And thanks about the chili
Pam — thanks! Haha, Glad the photo was well received.
Hopefully growing them works out–I’ve had mixed results with other peppers before (e.g. habaneros always are tricky for me, go figure), so here’s hoping luck is on my side…
Foodie — I’d only heard of it recently myself and it was pure luck that I happened to get one. Haha, but yea, if hot peppers aren’t your thing, this might not be your pepper.
And boo ground beef!
j/k
February 15th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Mike- I think this chilli sounds absolutely AMAZING! I had a good laugh reading through this entry- no ground beef? I’m so accostumed to using it whenever I make chilli! But I much more prefer the meats you added to your chilli. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
And great up close and personal photo! Damn that pepper must have been HOT!
February 16th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Pixie — thanks! Yeah, not a ground beef person. I prefer the tougher cuts just so that the end result has more beefy flavor and more distinctly formed pieces of meat remaining, but it may not be for everyone. Definitely worth a try–since chili takes a while to cook anyways, nothing lost in braising some tough beef while you’re at it!
And haha, glad you liked the photo. Now I need to find a dish for the remaining half of the pepper…
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:09 am
Wow - reading this has made me want to go and get the ingredients to make it - NOW! I confess I’m used to using ground beef - but I do have a kilo of skirt in my freezer - something tells me that would work well
I love, love, love chillies - and I’m love enough to have an amazing chilli grower living locally - apparently he has just got Naga-Bih Jolokia for the first time!
http://www.chillipepperpete.com/
See his stuff here - how lucky am I??
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:11 am
Ooops - I got a bit ‘love’ happy - I meant ‘lucky enough to have’!
To think I actually did proofread it too… :-S
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 am
kittie — that’s pretty good hook-up! I’m jealous. You should give this a try–definitely a good dish for experimenting with chilis in!
February 25th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Pretty good looking. Although I didn’t see any cilantro.
I’ve eaten part of one of those peppers without water as a bet. I think my sense of heat is fucked becasue I eat habaneros all the time raw.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:39 am
beatle — I hadn’t thought of cilantro but the flavors would certainly go. I suppose I would add it in the last 5-10 minutes or perhaps use it as an additional garnish. And, haha, no water on a bet? That’s a pretty raw deal, but it certainly sounds like you have quite a heat tolerance!
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:32 am
Oh my. My husband will want to grow those peppers now! We have a habanero plant in the kitchen already, and now that he knows the nagas are the hottest peppers on the planet we’ll have to go find some! Great entry for Grow Your Own!
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Andrea — I’m not sure whether to say good luck or I’m sorry.
Thanks again for hosting!
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
YUM!!! This looks great. Being Texan, we have definite ideas about what goes in chili
and it is definitely one of our favorite foods. We eat it year round, but at least weekly in winter!
I really like your recipe. No ground beef! Yay! I haven’t tried chocolate yet, but I think I will; you’ve inspired me
Oh, and “Now, for the item that sprinkles magical fairy dust on any dish: bacon” Too funny!! LOL