Posts Tagged ‘traditional chili’

How to Make Chili—Texas Style!

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Chili is the official food of the state of Texas. Chili became popular in Texas during the late 1880s when Hispanic women, called as the chili queens, started selling chili at the streets of San Antonio. They sell it by the bowl to passerby. The strong and delicious aroma of the chili made it an instant hit to the Texans.

But what makes Texas-style chili different from standard and traditional chili? Texas-style chili uses chunks of beef instead of the ground beef that is commonly used in most chili recipes. Texas chili also doesn’t contain any beans, tomatoes, or vegetables that are used in other variations of chili. The only vegetable it has is chili peppers, giving it a taste of more beef and chili!

The beef used, instead of being ground, are cut into bite-sized chunks usually the size of a pecan nut. The chunked beef gives the Texas-style chili a stew-like texture as compared to the common chili recipes that use ground beef.

How to make Texas chili, you ask? Fret not. It’s not as hard as one imagines. Preparation time for Texas chili is about 15 minutes, while the cooking time lasts for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

First things first on how to make Texas chili: ingredients. What you will need are the following:

• 3 pounds of beef chucks, cut them into one-inch cubes
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 9 chili pepper pods or chili powder
• 3 cup of beef broth
• 1 cup of tomato sauce or paste or puree
• 2 teaspoons of cornmeal or harina flour
• salt
• ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne powder
• 1 tablespoon of cumin, ground

Once you have all the ingredients done, follow these simple instructions on how to make Texas chili.

1. Get a large pot and over medium heat, cook the beef in vegetable oil until it turns brown. If you need to do this in batches, do it a necessary. It is better to evenly cook the beef rather than rush everything in one go leaving some portions of the beef uncooked.

2. While the beef is cooking, dice the onions and the garlic. Add the diced onions to the beef and let it sauté for about five minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cornmeal and allow it to cook. If you want your chili to have less fat, you can remove and drain the excess fat by this time. Apart from the vegetable oil, the beef as natural fat that will seep out of it while cooking.

4. Add the tomato sauce and chili pepper. Pour the beef broth and allow it to cook. Add the cumin and cayenne powder. Add the salt and ground black pepper to taste.

5. After you have put in all the remaining ingredients, bring it to a boil. Then put it to low heat and allow it to simmer. Cover the pot and stir occasionally.

It’s that simple! You know now how to make Texas chili like a real Texan!

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How to Make Chili Beans

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Many self-proclaimed meat lovers like the traditional chili or chili con carne. With the rich flavour of beef plus the spiciness of chili, who would not put this dish at the top of their favourites list? However, vegetarians and health conscious individuals should not be deprived with the delicious taste of chili con carne. Luckily, there are many recipes that can solve this problem. One of them is chili with beans or chilli beans.

Chili beans is a variation of chilli con carne. Instead of beef, you can add different kinds of beans. This recipe was created after the spread of chilli into places where beef is expensive. They thought of another ingredient that could have the same flavor and texture as chilli con carne. Different types of beans are used in this recipe such as pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas, great northern beans, pink beans, and many more. Most canned chilis that you can buy frm the grocery or supermarket have beans to add volume.

If you want to know how to make chilli beans, here are the steps that you should follow.

• Prepare the main ingredients for this dish such as a can each of rinsed red kidney beans, small white beans, and black beans. Of course, you will also need 3 tablespoons of chilli powder, one tablespoon ground cumin, and if you want to add more spice, half a teaspoon of ground chipotle chile or cayenne pepper. A can of crushed tomatoes, 3 regular sized sliced tomatoes, a tablespoon of canola oil, one large diced onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic, half a teaspoon of ground pepper, and 3 cups of water should also be included in your recipe.

• Cook onion in hot canola oil for two minutes or until it starts to soften. Lower heat while continuously stirring until the onion is very soft and is starting to darken. Do not burn the onion. This should only last for about 3 to 4 minutes.

• Add other spices such as chilli powder, garlic, cayenne or chipotle, and cumin. Keep on stirring until you can already smell the aroma of the combined spices. This is done for only half a minute or one minute.

• Pour the crushed tomatoes and add the sliced fresh tomatoes into the pan. Mix in all the beans (white, black, and kidney). Pour in water and sprinkle freshly ground pepper.

• Because of the added liquid, you need to increase heat to make your mixture boil. This will make any excess liquid evaporate which makes chilli thick and will also incorporate all the flavours in your recipe. Stir the chilli beans frequently while it is boiling.

• After coming to a boil, decrease the heat and let it simmer for a few more minutes while stirring from time to time. You will know that the chilli beans is ready when it has lessen a bit. This could take about 15 more minutes.

This recipe is very easy and will only take more or less than 35 minutes, depending on your efficiency. You can serve this to an average of six persons.

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Easy Steps on How to Make Mouthwatering Chili

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Chili is one of the most popular and favorite spicy stews that is made from meat, chili peppers, garlic, onions, and other spicy flavorings. It’s a very tasty dish that is enjoyed my people around the world. Since chili is enjoyed by people around the globe, there are many different variations on how to make chili. These variations arise because of one’s personal preference and one’s geographic location.

Traditional chili’s ingredients are ground beef and spices. Other variations use beans, tomatoes. Chili con carne is one of the most popular types of chili worldwide.

Here are the ingredients on how to make chili:
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 10 tomatoes, crushed
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 onion
• 3 large green peppers
• 1 cup chili power
• ¼ cup cumin powder
• 5 cloves of garlic or garlic powder
• Salt
• 1 ½ tablespoon of ground Cayan pepper

Optional ingredients are
• 3 cans of beans
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano

Chili is actually a good way to clear out the contents of your refrigerator. If you have some leftover ground beef from your taco last week, turning it into a tasty chili is the best way to go. If you are on the adventurous side and would like to add a little more spice on your chili, you can experiment and toss some of the too-soft-for-salad veggies that you have or a leftover turkey from and see how this can further spice up your already spicy chili.

Here are the simple steps and directions on how to make chili.

1. In a large flat pan, brown your ground beef. Mix your beef on your pan once in a while to evenly cook them. If they are still in large chunks, break them up to to cook evenly.

2. While your beef is cooking, dice your onions, garlic—no need to dice the garlic if you prefer to use garlic powder—and green peppers. If you are experimenting with your chili ingredients, you can dice all your other ingredients into tiny cubes.

3. Once your beef is evenly brown, put in the onions and garlic or garlic powder and continue stirring until the garlic and onions are cooked.

4. Gently pour the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beans, green peppers, and all the other dry ingredients. Continue stirring the ingredients together as they cook.

5. Add the ground Cayan pepper. One and a half tablespoon is okay but you can add as many tablespoons. Put in the chili powder and cumin powder. Make it as hot and spicy as you can handle! You can also try to experiment with our chili powders, apart from cumin and peppers. There is not a standard, clear-cut way on how to make chili.

6. Remove the lid and let it simmer for at least thirty minutes. Wait for your chili to thicken. Add salt to taste.

7. Turn your stove into low heat and let it simmer again for another 15 minutes.

Be sure to follow these steps and your friends will surely ask you how to make chili!

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How to Cook Chili Verde

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Nowadays, chili has so many variations that you will be overwhelmed with the different types of recipes you will find over the internet. However, there are only few original and traditional chili recipes, and one of them is chili verde.

Chili verde originated in the north part of Mexico. Basic chili verde includes meat and of course, chili. It is a kind of stew. For this type of chili recipe, the meat is cooked slowly. Meat will be boiled in a pot with broth and other ingredients or spices. You will know if the dish is ready if the meat is starting to fall apart.

If you want to know how to cook chili verde at home, here is the recipe you are waiting for.

• The basic ingredients for chili verde are a couple of pounds boneless pork shoulder, a couple of tablespoons of bacon oil or vegetable oil, 6 cans drained and diced green chiles, 3 cans chicken broth, 3 cups of onion, 3 cloves of garlic, black pepper, flour, a tablespoon of oregano, two tablespoons ground cumin, and a dash of salt. You can also add a teaspoon of hot pepper sauce to add flavour or spice.

• In a large pan, heat your bacon oil or vegetable oil. Heat should be medium-high. While the oil is starting to heat up, chop the pork into cubes and cover with flour and black pepper.

• Cook the pork cubes in a heated pan, making sure all sides of the cubes are cooked properly. Mix garlic and onion with your pork cubes while still in the pan. Onions should be soft and tender, and this usually happens in about 10 minutes.

• Other remaining ingredients should be added—oregano, cumin, green chiles, broth, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Boil the mixture over medium high heat.

• After the mixture has already come to a boil, decrease the heat and let the mixture simmer for several minutes. While it is simmering, the pan has to be covered to make sure the flavours and aroma will not escape the pan. It will be ready when the pork is very tender and soft and the broth is a bit thick. To know if the pork is ready, get a fork and pinch the pork with it.

• This is best served hot, especially if you eat it with cooked white rice. Some restaurants serve chili verde with tortilla or tortilla chips, tacos, or burritos. You can also eat it on its own, it is up to you. You can also add fresh sprigs of cilantro for that added flavour.

• This recipe is good for eight persons.

• If you want a very hot chili verde, you can add other chilis or you can adjust the amount of chilis you will add in your recipe.

It is very easy to cook chili verde as long as you know the basic ingredients. if you already know the basic ingredients of this dish, it will be easy to play with its taste, flavour, and spiciness.

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