Big City Chili

Big City Chili, originally uploaded by Kim De.

As I dash off to a busy afternoon, I wanted to tell you about the chili we had Superbowl Sunday. I made Big City Chili from Frontera Fiesta, a new website from Rick Bayless.

This is great for a party, because you can make it the night before and during the party you slowly re-heat it while you mingle with your guests.

Quick chili! Except, it isn't. The amount of time it took me to cube 3 pounds of meat, well let's say I didn't find it worth the time. During consumption, you can't even tell it was cubed pork shoulder and short ribs. I honestly think a quick brown of some good quality ground beef would produce the same results.

It was tasty and not too spicy, for those of you who prefer it that way. Now, having said that, I won't make this one again. I actually found this chili to have a deeper flavor, from the chocolate and cinnamon, and more of a spicy kick, from the chorizo.

As much as it pains me to admit it, because I love Rick Bayless, I enjoyed the last one better.

But this one was good. It got great reviews from my guests. You should try it!

Big City Chili (Rick Bayless)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 3/4 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt

1 large red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bottle (12 ounces) Bohemia beer

3 jars (16 ounces each) Frontera Guajillo Salsa or Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour for tortillas) dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, drained

Garnishes:

Crumbled queso anejo or crumbled queso fresco

Sour cream

Chopped onion and fresh cilantro

Crumbled Frontera tortilla chips

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat meats dry with paper toweling. Season well with salt. Add meat to hot oil in a single, uncrowded layer. Cook, turning until brown on all sides. Remove to a large plate. Repeat to brown all meat. Add onion to drippings in pan and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.

Stir in beer and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil to reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in salsa, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Return meat to pan. Simmer, partially covered and stirring often, until meats are tender and falling apart, about 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Stir in dissolved masa and cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in beans and season to taste with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon. Simmer a few minutes.

Serve with garnishes.

All-American Chili

Chili, originally uploaded by Kim De.

Noon football game led us to our main meal being lunch. I have been wanting to make this recipe for quite some time and can I tell you, it was worth the wait!

This is what chili should be, to my taste buds. Full of flavor. A bit spicy but not too much. Not greasy, but a great mouth feel. A wonderful palate for add-ons, but strong enough to stand along. Most importantly - great with ice cold beer!

All-American Chili (Adapted from Cooking Light)

6 oz hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
3 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot
56 oz canned whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, sauteing for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the sausage, red bell pepper, ground sirlion and jalapeño. Cook 6 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add in wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

NOTE: My crockpot instructions: After browning, I took the beef mixture and moved it to the crockpot, then added the tomato paste and the rest of the ingredients. I cooked on high for about an hour, then moved to low until ready to serve (about another hour)

Chili Night

After a break in the action, I was back in the kitchen again yesterday. Our new tv arrived yesterday and some friends came over to help Bo unbox and lift it. We invited them to stay for dinner (in my book, any excuse to have company!) I felt like making soup and since this is BIRTHDAY WEEK for Bo, he got to decide what he wanted.

He settled on a Chicken White Bean Chili. There is always a difference in opinions/cultures in our house when chili is made: I feel cornbread is called for, he thinks it should be eaten with rice. The plan was to have both, but at the last minute he decided he could do without rice this one time.

The chili was a hit for most. I was only slightly enamored with it, but then again I'm not a huge fan of chicken chili. I followed the recipe exactly except for using fresh serranos in place of the canned chilies. My changes will be in ().

Next comes the cornbread. Not difficult, right? I have made cornbread hundreds of times... when I went to the storage fridge to get my cornmeal, I discovered it was a coarse grind. Since that is what I had, I figured I would try it. I made a cornbread from the book Cornbread Gospels which has received rave reviews on the CLBB. What it looked/tasted like was something eggy with some cornmeal added. I wanted to try again, so I tried to grind the cornmeal in the blender and use a different recipe (just in case). This time I tried one from Cooking Light. Same outcome. Cornbread #2 also in the trash. At this point I am becoming frustrated - I DIDNT want rice with my cornbread! :) I opened a book I have called Breads of the Southwest. I found a recipe for Blue Corn Bread and since I knew I had a fine grind blue cornmeal, I decided this must be the one "meant to be". Luckily this one turned out right (since I was now out of eggs). It browned nicely and had the right texture. My only change was to sub yogurt for the sour cream.

Ive had cornbread with more depth of flavor before, but with a touch of honey added to the slice, it was a good side for the chili.

My last recipe of the day was pulled from Culinary in the Desert, which was adapted from Cooking Light. I am a huge fan of broccoli slaw and am always looking for a new one to try and this one did not disappoint! I figured we were having "fall foods" so I would round out the menu with this fall inspired dish.


Broccoli slaw is tossed with dried cranberries then dressed with a vinegar based sauce. After sitting for a few hours, I decided to drain some of the liquid off and add a touch of mayonnaise - not enough to taste, just to help bind. Just prior to eating, sliced tart apples and toasted pecans were added. This got 5 thumbs up and will be made again!

With this being BIRTHDAY WEEK, dinners at home aren't as prevalent, and with today being the BIG DAY, we will be having dinner out tonight. The party with friends will be Saturday complete with yummy Indian food and a cake. In the meantime:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BO

White Bean and Chicken Chili (Adapted from All of You)


2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 whole bone-in chicken breasts (3 lb.)
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 oz.) cans roasted green chilies, drained (I used 2 fresh chopped serranos)
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Place beans and broth in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until beans are tender, 2 hours.

Warm oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin side down in skillet; cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; remove and discard skin. Drain all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add onion mixture, chilies, 1 cup water and cumin to slow cooker. Stir; add chicken.

Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring twice. Remove 1 cup beans plus 1/2 cup liquid from slow cooker. Puree in a blender; return to slow cooker. Remove chicken, shred it and return to slow cooker. Spoon into individual bowls and serve

Yield: 6 Servings


Blue Corn Bread (Adapted from Breads of the Southwest)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup fine grind blue cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 cups sour cream (I used yogurt)
1/4 c corn oil (I used canola)
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-in springform pan or pie plate.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda and salt. In another bowl whisk together the sour cream, oil and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. The batter will be very thick. Take care not to overmix. Spoon the batter into the pan.

Bake 25-35 minutes or until golden around the edges and the top is dry and springy to the touch. a cake tester will come out clean. Let stand in the pan 15 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.


Broccoli, Cranberry, and Apple Slaw (Adapted from CL)

5 cups broccoli slaw
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarse cracked black pepper
2 1/4 cups thinly sliced tart apples
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli slaw and cranberries.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, white wine vinegar,
olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over broccoli mixture and toss gently to
coat. Cover and chill 2 hours. Mix in apple slices. Scatter the top with the
toasted pecans.