Dales Chili Recipes

CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and saute until just browned with a little pink left, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the onions and another teaspoon of the salt and saute until just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and red peppers and saute 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes and beans, mixing well. Stir in the taco seasoning and ancho chile powder and mix well. Add the beef back into the pot, pour in the mushroom stock and beer and bring to a simmer. Add the ancho chile--it will be large, but don't worry about this; after the chili is finished, you will remove it. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. The longer this cooks the better it tastes.
• Add the edamame and corn and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and liquid smoke. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Fish out the ancho chile and discard.
• Serve the chili over the Chai Spiced Grits and garnish with Greek yogurt and cilantro sprigs.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags. Add the cinnamon and stir to combine.
• Bring the chai mixture back to a boil and sprinkle the grits over it slowly, to prevent clumping. Cook, uncovered and stirring constantly to prevent sticking, until the grits are soft and have a creamy texture, 25 to 35 minutes. (If the grits get too dry, add up to 2 cups warm water during cooking.) Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and lemon zest. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

DAVE'S CHILI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot.
• Add the hamburger meat (or double ground brisket if using) and brown; drain off excess fat).
• Add the minced garlic, 8 cups of water and the dried chili pods and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for an hour.
• Remove the chili pods and any stems that may have fallen off the pods.
• Add the bay leaves through the Mexican Chili Powder and stir.
• To thicken the chili, mix the flour and cornmeal with 1/4 cup of water until smooth, then add to the chili and stir well.
• Add the Beans and Tomatoes.
• Mix well and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours. The longer it cooks the better it gets. Add a little water as it cooks down. :).
• NOTE: If it gets too thick, just add a little water. We serve this with cheddar cheese or chopped onions on top and crackers or cornbread.

DALE'S CHILI

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, on top of stove, brown ground beef.
• Add onions and cook until transparent.
• Add mushrooms, tomatoes and green peppers, cook until tender.
• Add kidney beans and tomato paste, stir.
• Mix in chili seasoning or powder to your taste.
• Simmer for 10 minutes
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with garlic toast and tossed green salad.

TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the chiles on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Don't let them burn or they will turn bitter. Transfer the chiles to a medium heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and let the chiles soak until softened, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Drain the chiles then remove and discard the stems. Split open each chile and scrape out the seeds with the back of your knife. Discard the seeds and transfer the chiles to a blender. Add the cumin, half of the diced onion, half of the garlic, 1/2 cup of the beef stock, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Blend, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender, until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin).
• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chile paste and cook until slightly darkened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the lard (or heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil). Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. When the lard begins to smoke, swirl the pot to coat and add half of the beef. Cook, lowering the heat if the meat threatens to burn, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 2 more tablespoons of the lard and the remaining beef. Set aside.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon lard (or heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil) in the pot. Add the remaining diced onion and garlic and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot along with any juices. Then add 2 cups water and the remaining 2 cups beef stock. Stir in the reserved chile paste and bring to a simmer over high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Lower the heat to maintain the barest possible simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
• Thoroughly stir the masa harina, brown sugar and vinegar into the chili. Gently simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of crema, shredded cheese, white onion and a lime wedge.

DAD'S CHILI

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef and ground pork. Cook and stir until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Set meat aside. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked meat, pinto beans, tomatoes, parsley, chili powder, pepper, monosodium glutamate, salt, and cumin. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.