Anybody have any great chili recipes? My office has a chili cookoff and I started talking trash and need a great recipe to back it up....

This one is one of my favorites. I add beans, but the recipe itself does not call for it:

3 tablespoons oil
4 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion coarsely chopped
2 - 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons salt
2 cups boiling water
1 32 ounce can whole tomatoes
4 tablespoons ground hot red chile
2 tablespoons ground mild red chile
( I use cayenne pepper as the ground chile is
hard to find in my area and I add it to taste)

Heat the oil in a large saute' pan over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan. Break up any lumps and cook the meat until it is all browned. ( I drain off the fat) Put the meat in a large pot.

Add onion to the oil, cook until the onions are translucent and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute so the garlic does not burn. Add the onion mixture to the meat.

Stir in the salt, oregano, cumin, water and tomatoes.

Add the ground chile (or cayenne) until you achieve the degree of hotness and flavor that suits your palate. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer uncovered for about an hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

As I said, I add about 3 cans of red kidney beans, your choice.

Enjoy.

grouch0 thanks! I'll give it a try.

Black beans are good too.

Beans do not belong in Chili.

quote:

Beans do not belong in Chili.

Right, they absolutely do not! Neither do tomatoes. Nothing labels you as a gringo -- or gets you disqualified in a Texas cookoff -- any faster than putting beans or tomatoes in your chili. Same for store-bought chili powder.

jackwhite-- does that mean you have some recipes to suggest as well?

quote:

jackwhite-- does that mean you have some recipes to suggest as well?

Sure, my pleasure. I would have earlier, but I thought you'd already settled on a recipe.

This one is my absolute favorite, and has been for years. It's somewhat labor intensive, to be sure, but well worth it. Don't use ground beef ... take the time and trouble to cube a whole piece of chuck into 1/4 inch cubes (no bigger than 1/2"). Make the effort to deseed and grind the dried chilies in a coffee grinder or spice mill ... most large markets carry dried chilies these days, but Mexican or tropical markets are certain to have them. No grocery store chili powder ... use the pure, unblended chili powder found in spice specialty stores.

(Yeah, it has tomatoes, but only in sauce form. Sue me.)

Like most chili, this is great when it's made a day ahead ... it thickens as it stands overnight, so you'll probably have to thin it a bit the next day.

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into small cubes.
2 tablespoons lard
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups lager beer (not dark)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
4 - 6 red dried chilies, seeded and ground in a coffee mill or spice grinder (a combinaton of pasilla and anchos works well).
3-4 T pure chili powder (not a blend).
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon red pepper sauce (such as Franks)

2 tablespoons mara harina (all-purpose flour will work, but the masa gives a better flavor).

In your cooking vessel, such as a Dutch over, brown the beef well on all sides in the lard along with the onion and garlic. Stir in the 3 cups of beer, the tomato sauce, ground chilies and chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne and red pepper sauce. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, stirring well occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching.

Degrease the chile. Mix the masa harina with 1/4 water and stir it into the chili. Simmer another 15-20 minutes.

If you make it, let me know how it turns out.