Mikes not quite World Famous Chili

As I just finished this yesterday it occurred to me that I could now show it to you. Sorry to lose all the positive posts from my previous but this seemed the thing to do. Tastes as good as it looks.

So now you’re expecting my chili recipe, yes? No. If I had one I’d give it to you. But the fact is, in all the years I’ve been making this I’ve never once measured how I spice it. None the less, I can get you headed in the right direction and pass on a few tips that should prove helpful.

My main ingredients I do measure – kind of. Not being from Texas, I’m still among those that use ground chuck rather than sliced beef. I’ve always meant to try the sliced but then I think that if something isn’t broken I shouldn’t try to fix it.

I use aprox:
3 lbs of ground chuck
2 lbs of pork
1 huge or 2 regular onions, chopped
1 hugh green pepper – or 2 regulars, also chopped
3 regular cans of diced tomatoes
2 regular cans of Brooks Chili Hot Beans (3 is acceptable if you like beans a lot)
NOTE: This much volume takes a pretty big pot.

I cook the pork first. Most any cut will work. Bacon has the most flavor and the least volume. I normally use loin. Slice it up pretty thin and fry in the pot you’re making the chili in only until you have no pink. Take that out to a cutting board and put the chuck in. While the chuck is browning slice the pork VERY small. Cut off and discard any excess fat.

When the chuck is done, drain it – then add the pork, tomatoes & beans. While that’s heating up dice the onion and pepper very fine and put those in too.

And there you have my main ingredients. I don’t start seasoning until the beans are done. Some of the spices lose their flavor & potency if cooked too long. Many folks like hot chili, and that’s fine – but I don’t make the batch itself hot. Those that want can add hot sauce, hot peppers or what have you to their servings. I shoot for flavor.

The seasonings I use are:
Chili powder – at least 2 kinds – the more the better
Salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cumin

I believe in seasoning a little at a time and letting the pot simmer a while in between. Seasoning 6-10 times is normal for me. I taste before I season, and then add what I think it needs according to this.

Not hot enough? = chili powder
Kind of a thin taste with little “body” = salt, onion & garlic power
Doesn’t taste like chili yet? = cumin

Don’t expect any flavor the first couple of times you season. Multiple brands of chili powder work best because chili powder is a blend and each mfg has a different taste. Combinations work best. You’ll find some are black and some are red. Use these evenly. If you work at this a few hours there will come a point where the brew seems like it lost flavor from the last tasting. This is normal. Keep right on seasoning – this loss of flavor is a signal but the spices are still there add body to the end product.

When you first start seasoning DO NOT add cumin. Cumin turns bitter if you use too much or cook it too long. Start using the cumin about the 3-4 seasoning.

The whole key is taste. Taste every time before you season. When it has enough salt don’t add anymore. Salty chili sucks. The further along you get, the heavier the cumin. Just keep on keeping on until it tastes like it should.

Being from Kentucky I’m no expert on chili. On the other hand I can tell good from mediocre and have received numerous compliments on what I come up with. My chili is an all day labor of love. And if you’ve not tried it, you might experiment eating this with Cheetos. Really. Got crackers beat hands down.