The Chilli Conundrum

[SVX]

I thought I'd post this as a batch is slowly reducing on the stove.

What is it about chilli [con carne]? Even if you follow exactly the same recipe the end result is always subtly different?

Tonight I'm experimenting with a few different ingredients: red onions instead of Spanish, green peppers instead of red and some diced chorizo instead of smoked bacon. The same tomatoes, garlic, fresh and dried chillies and kidney beans along with a home made herb powder to season.

Anyone else care to share their killer chilli recipes?

I'm also of the school of thought that it tastes better the next day...

[Lefty Guns]

Red onion
bulb of garlic
1.5-2lb of best mince from butcher (not lean mince!)
3 or 4 chillis (scotch bonnet usually)
2 tins chopped tomatoes and a big spoon of sundried tomato paste
tin kidney beans
tin chick peas

2 tsp sugar
chilli powder
cayenne pepper
smoked paprika
cumin
black pepper

good splash of bourbon.

cook for at least 6 hours and serve with tortillas and sour cream.

[SVX]

Lefty Guns said:

good splash of bourbon.

Oooh, now *thats* cheeky...

[Lefty Guns]

Try it, it's lovely. Nice to have a sippin' measure on th go while cooking too.

I must try chorizo next time.

[SVX]

I'm more of a single malt man myself, but the idea has legs!

[Balmoral Green]

Don't forget the usual three or four squares of high percentage dark chocolate stirred in at the end, or a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder if you've no chocolate.

A small amount of coffee works too, but not much.

[Mobile Chicane]

Google for Kenny's Cajun Cookbook. The recipe for Firehouse Chilli is all you'll ever need to know.

I don't have it to hand at the moment, else I'd type it out for you.

[NikB]

I found a dash of cinnamon really added to the flavour of the last chilli I cooked.

[Lefty Guns]

Forgot to say, I usually chuck some freshly squeezed lime juice in when it's ready to eat...

[HereBeMonsters]

Best thing is to cook it, cool it, and reheat it. Somehow it just seems to taste better - the mince absorbs all the flavour as it cools or something.

[rykard]

Hi,
mine as follows:

2-3 Spanish onions
2 tsp garlic
250g mince
1 can tomatoes
1 can chilli beans
1 can sweetcorn
2-3 grated carrots
tomato puree
salt
pepper
cumin
hot chilli powder
paprika
cayenne pepper
cocoa powder
orange juice

sometimes it's good sometimes fantastic

is the firehouse chilli recipe on the web? All I seem to get are links to the book..

Rich

Edited by rykard on Wednesday 22 July 07:17

[Lefty Guns]

Chocolate's an interesting one... Must try it.

I do normally add cinnamon actually, just forgot it in my recipe above

[brum]

Use lamb mince instead of beef - it adds a sweeter edge that goes really well with the heat.
I tried it once about 4 years ago and have never looked back

[Wadeski]

i've got a great mexican chilli recipe that uses no beef, no tomatoes, and no beans - based on the idea that beans and tomatoes (salsa) are served on the side in mexico, and pork was the staple meat, not beef.

basically, its pork, beer, onions and spices cooked slowwwwww for 6hrs and served with tortillas, refried beans, and salsa. Its too good.

[Lefty Guns]

Wadeski said:

i've got a great mexican chilli recipe that uses no beef, no tomatoes, and no beans - based on the idea that beans and tomatoes (salsa) are served on the side in mexico, and pork was the staple meat, not beef.

basically, its pork, beer, onions and spices cooked slowwwwww for 6hrs and served with tortillas, refried beans, and salsa. Its too good.

Bloody show-off

[Mx_Stu]

I do love my chilli, but due to the otherhalves non love of spice I have to be rather tame at home.

I must admit though that mine is a VERY basic and standard recipe and I think i'll going to have to try some of these suggestions.

[toasty]

I add a small tin of normal baked beans as well as the kidney beans. Just seems to work better that way.

[SVX]

Well the experimental recipe was a success, very tasty and not as nuclear hot as I first feared... I'm definitely going to try and use some of these other ideas, especially the bourbon.

For the next batch, I think I'm also going to try a mixture of beef mince and pork mince, and some dried chipotle chillies to the mix. I think I might also experiment with some different beans, I tend to use kidney beans, but have used pinto beans in the past. I saw some gungo peas for sale in the Caribbean aisle of my local supermarket.

Which kind of chillies do we think are best?

[smack]

SVX said:

I think I might also experiment with some different beans, I tend to use kidney beans, but have used pinto beans in the past. I saw some gungo peas for sale in the Caribbean aisle of my local supermarket.

I personally prefer using Pinto to Kidney beans. Most of the supermarkets don't stock cans of Pinto beans anymore (Tesco and Sainsbury's pulled them over winter), so now have to use packets of dried ones and soak them - so needs forward planning, rather than make my mind up in the afternoon/early evening as I usually do.

[Romanymagic]

SVX said:

Which kind of chillies do we think are best?

Chipotle for the smokiness is pretty cool, I like using Scotch Bonnett and Habanero chilli's