Appalachian Chili Recipes

LAUREN'S CINCINNATI CHILI

Steps:

• Cook the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium high heat, breaking up beef into tiny pieces, just until meat is no longer pink. Drain and place in a large Dutch oven or slow cooker. Stir in the water, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, tomato sauce, and chocolate. Simmer over medium low heat for 3 to 5 hours.

AUSH (AFGHANI CHILI)

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; remove with slotted spoon to a large pot; reserving drippings in the skillet. Cook and stir the onion in the reserved drippings until golden brown; remove with slotted spoon and add to beef in the pot. Stir the tomatoes with juice, garlic, red pepper, cumin, chili powder, mint, garam masala, garbanzo beans, and spinach into the beef mixture and place the pot over low heat; simmer 3 to 6 hours.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the fettuccini, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Stir into the chili along with the sour cream and serve hot.

APPALACHIAN CHILI

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, pour in the beef and chicken broth and crumble in the burger.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Add all other ingedients, except for the beans and the spaghetti, stirring after adding each one.
• Once the chili begins to boil, reduce the heat so that it will boil slowly with the lid on.
• Allow the chili to slowly boil for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the beans after 90 minutes and allow the chili to continue the slow boil for another 30 minutes.
• If desired, Prepare the spaghetti separately, boiling in water per package directions, and set aside, covered.
• Serve either in medium-sized bowls with saltines or oyster crackers available at the table or, portion out the chili over the spaghetti on large plates.

GULF COAST ALLIGATOR CHILI

Steps:

• Soak alligator in buttermilk in a container, refrigerated, overnight.
• Transfer alligator to a colander and rinse all the buttermilk off the meat. Let it completely drain or pat dry with a paper towel.
• Saute the alligator and ground pork together with the vegetable oil in a large stockpot on medium heat until the meats start to brown and release liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl to separate it from the liquid fat. Keeping the fat on medium heat, add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic, followed by the chipotles, jalapenos and serranos. Sweat this mixture down until onions turn clear.
• Add diced tomatoes. At this point, you will have a bit of liquid from all the fats and vegetables. Stir in 1/2 cup flour (or more, if desired) to thicken up the liquid and absorb the fats. Stir in the chicken stock, followed by the tomato sauce. Add the drained ranch beans, although this step is optional, depending on whether you want beans in
• your chili (hint: we always do). Cook, stirring regularly, until the pot hits a low boil. Add the alligator and pork mixture, along with half the beer. Stir in the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika, black pepper and salt. Reduce the heat to very low, then cover pot and simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so to keep the chili from sticking to the bottom, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Though you could actually serve this dish now, as it will taste great, we truly feel that refrigerating and reheating it again adds to "the leftover effect" which allows the flavors to really marinate and come out to a noticeable degree. Remove pot from heat and set to the side until chili hits room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, just reheat slowly (up to a low boil), stirring in the remaining beer to loosen up the dish. Garnish with green onions, Cheddar, sour cream and hot sauce. We always garnish the chili with our signature Dixie Fried Blue Crab and Corn Hush Puppies.

KENTUCKY CHILI

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato juice, water, chili beans, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes., Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and stir into chili.

APPALACHIAN CUCUMBER AND ONION SALAD

Steps:

• Make a brine of equal parts water and vinegar, then sugar to taste.
• Slice cucumbers and onions into brine. Make sure you have enough brine to cover all of the slices.
• Set in the 'kelvinator' overnight, LOL.
• Serve chilled.
• Brine can be reused one time only.