For years each batch of chili I made was a little different, I never followed a recipe. I always told my wife this is the best chili I ever made, at times it wasn’t! She said I needed a set recipe so after one batch she said was extra good, I wrote down the recipe. Now I have a set recipe to use.
For this batch I wanted to try Saveur’s State Fair Chili. I have never eaten chili at a state fair but the recipe looked good and their photo made it look tasty. I followed their recipe except I drained the ground beef after browning; just a brief set in a colander then back in the pot. I figured that left enough fat in for flavor. I always use pinto beans but stayed with the kidney beans the recipe called for and used light red kidney beans. Tasting at the end I also added about a teaspoon of cumin. I added the chili powder to the meat after browning and let it cook about 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. A Mexican friend of mine, and a good cook, told me years ago to season the meat for soups and stews.
I almost forgot; I didn’t add any tomato paste either. I thought it was thick enough without it. It is hard for a cook to just follow a recipe to the letter without adding their own touches!
I did this all inside, nothing done on my pellet smoker; I was busy trimming and mowing grass in-between making the chili. I did it in a large pot then all went in a Crockpot to simmer about 3 hours. I read once where chili needs to cook at least 3 hours to meld all the flavors.
We all liked the chili, my son and I added some Cholula hot sauce to ours. My veggie daughter-in-law even ate a bowl; the smell got to her! This is a good basic chili recipe and to please different tastes serve some chopped jalapenos, chopped onions, crushed red peppers and a good hot sauce on the side. Don’t forget the shredded cheddar and sour cream.
Link to Chili Recipe
Chili ingredients
Garlic, celery, and onions
Meat simmering with seasoning
Ready to serve
My Bowl
Smokin Don
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