re: What are the basics of good chili? Wha do I need for scratch?

This is my go-to chili recipe:

Best Damn Chili


4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Anaheim chile pepper, chopped
2 red jalapeno pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle light beer (such as Coors®)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (16 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans (such as Bush's®)
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground

35 m
Cook

2 h 15 m
Ready In

2 h 50 m


Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, jalapeno peppers, and garlic in the hot oil until softened.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; add Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.

Crumble bouillon cubes over beef and add beer. Continue to cook , scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until liquid is hot, about 3 minutes. Stir beef mixture into pepper mixture.

Stir crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine to the beef mixture. Season with chili powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, brown sugar, pepper sauce, basil, paprika, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until meat and vegetables are very tender and flavors have developed in the chili, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix kidney beans into beef and vegetables. Continue to simmer until beans are hot, about 30 minutes more.
Blend sour cream, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in a food processor until smooth. Serve sour cream mixture with chili


I sub the bouillon cubes for better than bouillon.


And make this cornbread:

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

Here's an old post of mine which is pretty much what I still do. It's very good and I make plenty to freeze.

I make America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country 5 alarm chili. It's not 5 alarm not. Just 5 alarm tasty.

Here's their recipe. I do not add the beans and I add some chocolate. Sometimes, a Hershey bar like Otis does, but sometimes semi sweet baking chocolate...whatever I have around. I use dos equis for the beer.

Why this recipe works:

As the name implies, five-alarm chili should be spicy enough to make you break a sweat, but it has to have rich, deep chile flavor as well. We used a combination of dried anchos, smoky chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, fresh jalapenos, and chili powder to create layers of flavor. Ground beef… read more
Five-Alarm Chili
Good chili doesn’t have to take a whole afternoon.


Serves 8 to 10

Look for ancho chiles in the international aisle at the supermarket. Light-bodied American lagers, such as Budweiser, work best here. Serve chili with lime, sour cream, scallions, and cornbread.
Ingredients

2 ounces dried ancho chiles (4 to 6 chiles), stemmed, seeded, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobe sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 pounds onions, chopped fine
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups beer
3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed

Instructions

1. Combine anchos and 1½ cups water in bowl and microwave until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain and discard liquid. Process anchos, tomatoes and their juice, remaining 2 cups water, tortilla chips, chipotle, and adobo sauce in blender until smooth, about 1 minute; set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in colander; set aside.

3. Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until simmering. Add onions and jalapeños and seeds and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in beer and bring to simmer. Stir in beans, reserved ancho-tomato mixture, and reserved cooked beef and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 50 to 60 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve.

Five Hits for Five Alarm

JALAPEÑO: Brings fresh vegetable flavor.

CHIPOTLE IN ADOBO: Instant shortcut to ¬smokiness.

CHILI POWDER: Wouldn’t be chili without it.

CAYENNE: Adds raw heat.

ANCHO: Adds depth, complexity, and mild heat.
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I mean.... Trinity and the roux. It starts every dish right?

First you make a roux......

I'll go edit my thread title to ask for the basic ingredients of "chiri"

Best thing I did to up my chili game is to start grinding and mixing my own chili powder. Store bought mix is ok, and I did that forever. But 4 or 5 years ago I started buying the dried peppers at my local Mexican supermarket and grinding them to make my mix. The flavor you get with a fresh mix is amazing.

beef
onions
beer
poblano peppers
jalapeno peppers
ketchup (just a dab for sweet and thickening)
tomato paste
water
chili powder
cayenne pepper or sriracha
garlic
cumin (too much will make it taste like tacos)
parika
salt
can of beans

cheese and crackers

my secret ingredient is a little smoked pork butt. not much but it gives a smokey flavor to it. I don't use a recipe. It is usually a beer inspired meal so i hover and find what it needs. go easy on the salt if you over do you can throw a potato or a carrot in and that will soak up the salt.

chocolate has the same effect as beer. gives it a hint of bitter. Some idiots put cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon in it. Don't be an idiot, just say no to those ingredients.

quote:

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IMO, the most important thing is to get chili grind beef. Ask the butcher and they will grind it for you. I can’t use regular ground meat for chili.

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What's this?

Hmm, ok.

You are way over thinking it,

No Tyme

Mexican oregano yes a little. 2tps
Garlic, lots 4 -6cloves
Cumin a must 1 -3 tps to taste
Tomatoes yes one or two or 14oz can
Tomato paste a must 1/2 can
Onions, white chopped 3 cups
Tomatillos
Green chills
Jalapeños
Make your own chili powder with toasted chili pods Or get real chili powder from Pendrys in Ft worth. I order Texas RED dog and camaya,
I like to make a chili past too, toast the seeded chilis5-6 , then simmer with onion, garlic in chicken stock. Blend then strain add the batch to the browned 2 LB cubed beef,
I also adjust seasonings and add chocolate about 2 TBs unsweetened.
Cook three hours on stove. Or in pot in the stove.

Brown beef and add seasonsonins as you brown, drain fat
Add onions and green chilis brown and add chili paste and tomatoes and stock.
Cook and add any thing else adjust salt and pepper and add chili powder and or cumin.

There that is my RECIEPE pretty good I think.