Recipe Exchange (my chili recipe)

[-ammo-]

Hi all,

RPM's Enchilada post got me thinking about starting a post where we can share some recipes/methods we know.  I became a "foodie" about 10 years ago and have picked up some good ones since then.  I am by no means an expert or chef, but I do enjoy cooking.  I have had some failures along the way too.. more than a few.  I would like to post a few things that have turned out well for me.

First off is my chili recipe.  I have won two formal (sponsored) chili cook-offs and a few local informal cook-offs (fund raisers) with this recipe.  I have altered it several times to experiment too and so can you to fit your taste.  You can't go wrong with this recipe!

INGREDIENTS
•   2 pounds ground beef
•   2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
•   2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
•   2 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
•   2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
•   1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
•   1 large yellow onion, chopped
•   1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•   1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•   4 red chili peppers, chopped with seeds
•   6 slices cooked thick-slice bacon
•   4 cubes beef bouillon
•   16 ounces beer
•   1/4 cup chili powder
•   1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•   2 cloves garlic, minced
•   1 tablespoon dried oregano
•   2 teaspoons ground cumin
•   2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
•   1 teaspoon dried basil
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   1 teaspoon ground black pepper
•   1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•   1 teaspoon paprika
•   1/2 teaspoon cayenne
•   1 teaspoon white sugar
•   ผ cup brown sugar
•   1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritosฎ
•   1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook the ground chuck and sausage in a large sauce pan, and cook, while crumbling, until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
3.   Meanwhile, place bacon on a parchment paper lined oven pan and cook in the oven for about 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and place cooked bacon on a cutting board; cut in to crumbled pieces.
4.   Pour in the beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chili peppers, crumbled bacon, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5.   After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
6.   Serve with cheese and fritos.  Or if you would rather, serve with cooked white rice.

I'll post up my Gumbo recipe next

[Dichotomy]

take a gander at this thread

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?topic=210686.0

great idea to bring it back

[-ammo-]

Authentic Creole Gumbo


Ingredients

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup bacon drippings
    2 cup coarsely chopped celery
    1 large onion, coarsely chopped
    1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
    3 quarts Beef stock
    1 tablespoon white sugar
    salt to taste
    3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, or to taste
    3 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere'sฎ), or to taste
    4 bay leaves
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
    1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
    1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
    2 teaspoons gumbo file powder
    2 tablespoons bacon drippings
    2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
    2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    1 pound lump crabmeat
    40 ounces uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    2 teaspoons gumbo file powder


Directions

*It's best to have all your ingredients sliced, chopped, measured, opened, etc.. before your start.  Once the roux process begins, you can't leave the stove and take time to do much of anything*

1. Coarsely chop celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic and throw into the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped.  There will be a lot of juice from the veggies.  

2. Make a roux by whisking the flour and bacon drippings together in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking/stirring constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take up to 45 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. I always have an extra beer or two close at hand since you are basically a prisoner to this process.

3. Stir the vegetables into the hot roux, and saute until they just start to become tender - 5-10 minutes.  Stir constantly.

4. Add the beef broth, sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, Worcestershire and tomato sauces. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1.15 hours, stirring occasionally. . Mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 1 hour mark.  
    
6. While the gumbo is simmering, at the 1.15 hour mark, heat 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet and cook the okra and vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes.  This reduces the "sliminess" of the okra.  Remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat and shrimp, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

You can save money by substituting roasted chicken, other sausage such as Kielbasa or hamhocks - or a mixture of all of it.  Just make sure you scale to the recipe.

This is some damn good gumbo!  Serve with cooked white rice.

[-ammo-]

take a gander at this thread

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?topic=210686.0

great idea to bring it back

Thanks!  I'll post my stuff in that thread.