Chili thoughts......

 

Chili...   Yeah, I said it.  Chili.  

Maybe just for a moment, how about we admit I don't know everything about this stuff... and neither do you... and the guy over there certainly isn't the chili god.

I'm going to bullet point some of my thoughts on this wonderful dish, and I don't want anyone to think I'm laying down any kind of rules here.  *I'm* not the Chili god, either.  Just some fat retired school teacher who enjoys a bowl of the red on occasion.   They are not rules, nor even guidelines.  Consider them suggestions.

• Chili is a stew.  Like stew, the flavors are layered in, modifying and manipulating each as an addition to the whole.  Some things are basic, like meat, onions, peppers, and seasonings.  The rest, do as you will without harm.
• Flavors take time.  Nothing is instant.  It all takes time to develop.  Hell, TIME is an ingredient as well.  Each flavor addition past the basics will need time to develop and bloom, in company with what's already in the pot.  That means make the addition you have in mind... gently... and walk away for a while.  There's no point in tasting again till it's had some happy time and gotten to know itself better.
• Flavors come in SO many types and packages, and all have their key to unlock the magic.  Some flavors are heat soluble, like onions.  Some require water to dissolve, some fats, and some need alcohol to blossom.  Every ingredient has it's own needs, but chili is a pot of many things.  So, I add butter as my fat, and Bourbon as my alcohol, and water, and heat, and time.  Let it all hang out for hours on end.
• Whatever meat you use should be precooked to brown it.  Take advantage of the Maillard reaction to it's fullest.  Veggies too!  Sauté those peppers and onions before adding because the direct heat needed to make them magical would destroy the chili.
• Beans.... do what you want.  I put beans in my chili because I like them.  Usually deep red kidney and pinto beans.  My jam is canned, but some people like dried.  Whatever makes your boat bob.
• Peppers?  I like red and yellow sweet peppers, and Jalapeno if I have them.  I usually have a big jar of sliced Jalapeno in the fridge, just in case.  I'll also slice in dried Honcho and Ancho if I have them.  Remember, let them cook a good while before judging flavors.  Working with dried peppers, I like to re-hydrate for a few hours or overnight first.  I find whiskey or beer does well for this, and it all goes in.
• Liquid.  I add some Bourbon, and beer if I have it on hand.  There's nothing wrong with plain water too.  I've also done beef stock, just to add more flavor.
• Tomatoes... Yes!  I go with canned, and multiple types.  Almost always Ro-Tel tomatoes canned with green chli's... Yum!  Also Hunt's fire roasted.  Sometimes whole, sometimes stewed, sometimes diced.   With or without the can liquid is a choice, except with the Ro-Tel.   I want ALL of that in my pot.  Also, I use tomato paste in my chili.  It's a thickener, and the richness it adds is hard to beat.  Just remember... you don't *have* to use the whole can, you know?
• Spices..... it ain't chili without chili powder.   Find one you like, but don't ever stop looking.  There's a lot of goodness out there waiting to be discovered.  How much to use?   All personal there.  The only real rule is to start light and work up to where you want it.  You really can't go back except by expanding the pot with more beans and tomatoes.
• Cook time?  More is better.  I will typically start a chili in the morning for dinner that evening.  Chili NEEDS the cook time, and like any stew it deeply benefits from being loving stirred... often.  This keeps ingredients mixed and helps break down the onions, meat, beans, etc.  A chili that's fresh from simmering is not the same creature as one that's been well stirred.
• Secret ingredients?   Oh my, yes... and If I told you, I'd have to.... never mind.  That's BS.  Two of my favs are corn meal, as a thickener when needed.  Just a few spoonful's.  Besides thickening, it adds an earthy sweetness that hides below the surface.  I also add a touch of brown sugar.  Not enough to make it sweet, but just balance the acid from the tomatoes a bit.  Dark chocolate also shows up in my chili, if I have any.  Only the dark though.  It's not about sweetness, but depth of flavor.
• Additions in the bowl?  Hell yes, have at it.  I go with some shredded cheese.  Herself does that, and sour cream as well.  Do what makes you happiest.