When The Weather Is Chilly It's Time For Chili

If you are from Texas you know real chili does not have beans in it, just meat.  Here is my recipe for Real Texas Red Chili.  You can adjust the spiciness to your taste.  I make it as a mild chili.  This chili won first place at a local chili cook off.  It was entered in the contest as Howl at the Moon Chili (we had to come with a name and that one seemed as good as any).

1 lb lean chili grind beef
1 lb your favorite breakfast sausage ( I use Jimmy Dean)
1 lb lean ground pork
1 1lb Ground Turkey
1/2 cup bacon bits (real bacon not the artificial bits)
1 lb finely diced beef or pork stew meat (optional)
1 can hatch diced peppers mild (small can)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup V/8 Spicy tomato juice
1/2 cup beef broth
1 can of tomato paste
1 onion finely diced
1/4 cup chili Powder
1 tablespoon Chipotle Chile powder
1 tablespoon  Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
1/4 cup dried chives
1 teaspoon creole seasoning or old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon black pepper (white pepper will increase the heat)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (helps the chili turn out a deep red)

Brown meat and drain grease before starting.  Add all ingredients to a large crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours then reduce to low for six hours.  Before serving mix several spoons full of broth with several teaspoons of flour to form a roux and add to chili to thicken broth.  Bring back to a boil for several minutes chili is ready to serve.  This recipe will serve 10-12 people.  Garnish finished chili with cheese, sour cream or chives.  Adjust heat of chili by using the hotter Rotel and green chilies.  You could also add diced jalapenos. 

This is great served just as chili or serve over Fritos for a great Frito pie.  Also good on hot dogs and hamburgers.  My favorite is to make chili mac.   Serve it over your favorite pasta like spaghetti sauce.  I also use it to make a spicy lasagna.  This freezes well so when I make it I will put a quart in the icebox and two quarts in the freezer.  There is generally two and 1/2 serving to a quart and we will eat a quart for dinner.  My Crock Pot is a five quart oval model.  If you are making in a four quart Crock Pot you will want to cut back on diced tomatoes to one can and cut beef broth to 1/4 cup as well as only use the pork sausage and leave out the ground pork as well.

While there are a lot of ingredients it is quick to prepare and then just stir it a few times.  It is a great meal for having friends over as it does not require a lot of fussing over leaving more time to visit.  You don't have to make it in a crock pot but that is the easy way.  If you want to make it on the stove make sure you cook it for at least two hours for the flavor to fully develop.  Just don't tell me if you add beans.

More later

Bruce