Monday, April 6, 2009

Quick Fix Chili

I suppose there are some serious chili cooks out there that might take offense when I say that I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think that you can't make a good chili in a hurry. This chili takes less than an hour to make and the vast majority of that time it's just bubbling away, leaving you to do other things.

As an FYI, I may just have the wussiest tongue known to man. Since I got married, I have tried to expand my spice heat-tolerance, but not very successfully. This chili is quite mild, if you like yours to make you sweat, then add some jalapeno or cayenne. The chili peppers that I use in here are Anaheim peppers, which give good chili flavor without too much heat and are usually available in any grocery store. As for the chili powder, I just use the cheap grocery store type in the big jar. It's not hot, but adds great flavor.

Quick Fix Chili
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 TBS oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground meat (I usually use venison since it's what I have, but beef is great too)
1 16oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c chopped fresh Anaheim chili pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 quart whole canned tomatoes (the large can, 28 oz, I think)
4 TBS chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, onions, and garlic. Saute until slightly softened. Add ground meat and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese or sour cream. Cornbread is also a great accompaniment.

3 comments:

  1. I like your fancy new slideshow!!! I think I need filled in on your somewhat disturbing program on food styling...it sound interesting....

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  2. It was something on the Food Network. I always knew that food stylists used "tricks of the trade" (i.e. not edible food things) to make better photos, but the lengths they go to almost make it seem like they're not really even photographing the actual dish. I want to see what the food really looks like! I want to imagine being able to eat it without being grossed out thinking about what they really were photographing (like raw "baked" chicken or salads piled on top of a mound of Crisco). Yuck.

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  3. You would't happen to have a really good stew recipe? All your others look really yummy.

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