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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 120 Minutes |
Ready In: 120 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This is our version of a regional classic. Ingredients:
5 cups water |
1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef (93/7) |
1 large onion |
4 cloves garlic |
1 8 oz. tomato sauce |
4 tsp worcestershire sauce |
2 tsp apple cider vinegar |
2 tsp salt |
1 tsp ground cumin |
1 tsp all spice |
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper |
1/4 tsp cinnamon |
1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, shaved |
1 bay leaf |
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes |
1/4 tsp chipotle powder |
1 lbs grated sharp cheddar. |
1 medium onion chopped (optional) |
1 can of kidney beans (drained) (optional) |
tabasco or other hot sauce (optional) |
Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat the water to a boil. Once boiling… add the ground meat. Yes. Just do it. Don’t brown it. Don’t warm it up, just put the meat in the water, perhaps breaking it up a little. Don’t think “This can’t be right.” Just do it.
2. Beefy water (just wait!)NOTE: The leaner the meat, the better. Because of the way this is cooked, if you use 80/20 (meaning 80% lean to 20% fat), you’ll need to skim the top of the chili later. 80/20 is great for burgers and many other recipes, but here I try to keep the extra work down by using 93/7 ground beef.
3. Let it return to a boil and add all the spices (EXCEPT the bay leaf) and the chocolate. Yes, that’s right. I said chocolate. It should be bakers’ chocolate — nothing actually sweet. It’s, once again, one of those flavors I can’t and don’t want to believe is there, but… it is. The chocolate adds its various nuances to the chili, and you wo uld notice its absence. Grate it over the chili and stir to make sure its integrated.
4. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. You can skim some of the fat if you like. Let it cool for 10 minutes, because you’re going to grind the chili down using a stick blender or food mill. Once it’s no longer rocket hot, grind the concoction until most of the big pieces of onion are gone and the meat has been made loose but still identifiable. NOTE: You can skip this step, but the consistency of the chili will not be quite right. It will have a more rustic texture which will be fine; but to truly get it right, you’ll likely need to cook it extra long amount of time.
5. Cook at a simmer for another 40 minutes. At this point, it will look like a bit of a chocolatey-colored grainy stew or soup. This is what you are going for. Congratulations, you’ve crossed the threshold from culinarily-confounding regional delight to ready-to-consume regional delight. Serve over spaghetti with sharp cheddar cheese topping, over a hot dog, add on your desired go-withs, and enjoy.
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