When I was a teenager, my mother discovered a recipe for Chili Con Carne. It was on the back of a Tomato Soup Tin. My father absolutely loved it!!
Because my father loved it, that meant we had it every Saturday night for supper, throughout my teenage years. This was amazing actually . . . as this was the man who had told my mother for years and years that the only spices his mother had ever used were salt and pepper, and who refused to eat any dish that was spiced with anything else.
My mother discovered oregano . . . and chili powder. Life was never the same again. Suddenly our food became colourful and more flavourful. It wasn't too long after that she discovered green peppers . . . and pepper steak was born! (At least in our house anyways! Can you believe I had never tasted a pizza until I was about 16??? I know!! I was sooo deprived!!)
I've come a long way from those early bowls of chili . . . they were rather bland actually . . . just tinned tomato soup, beans, onions, and ground beef with some chili powder and oregano thrown in for good measure.
Thankfully, I have been a lot more adventurous in my experimentations . . . and my tastes. Mind you . . . it's a completely different world out there these days . . . it's a much smaller place and so much more is available to us.
This is a fantastic bowl of red, or chili as it is commonly called. Rich and flavourful and oh sooooooo scrummy! We like it with grated cheddar cheese dusted over the top, and a bit of chopped onion . . .
With crusty white rolls to mop up all of those lovely juices, thick like gravy . . .
Can anything on earth taste any better than white bread and gravy? I think not! Especially if it's chili gravy! Yum!! Yum!!
*The Best Chili Ever*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe
You can't beat a big tasty bowl of red. This is rich and flavourful and rib stickin' good!
1 TBS oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
4 green chilies, trimmed, seeded and chopped (or to taste)
1 pound of extra lean beef mince (ground round)
1 pound of beef sirloin, trimmed and cut into small cubes
1 (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice (14 ounce)
1 tomato tin measure of dark ale
1 tomato tin measure of beef broth
225ml (1 cup) dark strong coffee
2 heaped dessertspoons of tomato puree (about 3 TBS)
3 1/2 TBS tomato ketchup
2 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS cocoa powder
(not hot chocolate drink mix)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp mild chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fine seasalt
4 (400g) tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed (14 ounce tins X 4)
To serve:
Chopped onion
grated strong cheddar cheese
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chilies. Cook and stir until soft. Add the meats. Cook, stirring, til browned. Stir in the cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, chili powder, coriander and sea salt. Mix in well. Stir in the tomatoes, ale, beef broth, coffee, tomato puree and brown sugar. Add the beans. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally over low heat for about 2 hours, til nice and thick and rich. Serve hot with some chopped onion and cheddar cheese sprinkled over the top. Delicious!
