Secret Ingredients

I was about to start a chili thread. I am making my first batch this season in a little while and just wrote out the recipe for a friend. My secret spice Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Not sure if I should share this with the world but here goes.

ChiTown Chili

Ingredients:

1 large red onion
1 each of red, green, yellow pepper
1 or 2 habenero peppers*
1 or 2 cerrano peppers*
2 cloves of garlic
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 lb ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sweet baby rays
2 cans red kidney beans

Spices:

1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp blackening seasoning
1/2 tsp pequin chilis crushed*
1/2 tsp tandori blend seasoning
1 huge tablespoon jamaican jerk seasoning
a healthy dollup of your favorite hot sauce, I prefer Melindas XXX reserve

Chop onions, peppers and garlic. Remove skin from sausage and brown in skillet, chop it up as it browns. (approx 5 min). Add ground beef and continue browning. Add all spices, peppers, onion and garlic while meat browns. When meat is completely browned add tomatoes, ketchup, and bbq sauce and simmer for half an hour. Add kidney beans and continue simmering until chili reaches preferred consistency. For me there is no hurry and I prefer to let it simmer for a few hours.

*omit or reduce these ingredients for a milder chili, use of them will result in a chili too hot for many tastes.

1 Reply

definately fry up the beef chunks and then further make a caramelized brown by adding the brown sugar at this point. Then to the stew, I always add bay leaves and cloves.

Unlike Tico, I cant stand cumin.

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Hey sublime. Only mod Id make to that chili is to use chunk beef rather than hamburger , hold the green peppers and maybe just one of the Mombasa peppers or habenero. (No seeds)
We always include about 3 T sugar per gal of chili, a sweeter sauce makes peppers seem milder even though they give the same bite.

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farmerman wrote:

definately fry up the beef chunks and then further make a caramelized brown by adding the brown sugar at this point. Then to the stew, I always add bay leaves and cloves.

Unlike Tico, I cant stand cumin.

A little oregano can work in chili.

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I don't like my chili overcooked, I like the vegies a bit crunchy still (a bit like a salsa).

I like my chili watery rather than thick with too much flour..

Five alarm all the way.

I buy frozen chili peppers they chop up better and are not as tough as fresh chili peppers. Watch your fingers chopping them frozen. Fingers don't make a good secret ingredient.

Cumin is ok for me.

I love chili meat but they only sell it down south.

Chili meat is a larger cut of ground beef. Anyone ever had chili meat?

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farmerman wrote:

Hey sublime. Only mod Id make to that chili is to use chunk beef rather than hamburger , hold the green peppers and maybe just one of the Mombasa peppers or habenero. (No seeds)
We always include about 3 T sugar per gal of chili, a sweeter sauce makes peppers seem milder even though they give the same bite.

I was thinking about a heartier meat for the chili, as for the peppers it seems that the cerrano was the one that really turned the heat up, I diced up about six of those bad boys on an earlier attempt and it was almost unbearable, I toss in one or two habeneros depending on the size. I will give regular sugar a try, I tried brown sugar and I didn't notice a difference.

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It wasn't until I got to the store that I remembered my other secret ingredient for chili, a half can of smoked chipotle peppers in adodbo sauce, it adds the perfect smokiness to the chili.

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What are sweet baby rays?
What is blackening seasoning?
Reading all this is making me hungry...

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I have been known to put Dr. Pepper in my BBQ sauce.

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yeh, we use a liter of Coke when baking a turkey. Rut it right in the pan and use it to baste and just make the oven humid.
500 degrees and 7 minutes per pound. Tastiest and moistiest way to make a turkey.

Spaghetti, always cook with some olive oil in the water and stop trhe boiling by quickly adding a pitcher of cold water.

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Spaghetti, never add olive oil to water... do add salt.
Watch closely as spaghetti is approaching al dente-ness, drain fast, add pasta to pan of already hot sauce, toss quickly, put into bowls that have been microwaved to be warm, rush to table of seated hungry people.

(each to his or her own..)

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I no longer keep my secret chili ingredient secret because it's peanut butter. A couple of tablespoons add a nice, well nutty, flavor to the dish. However, since so many people have peanut allergies I have to warn people before deciding to serve it.

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Tried to edit my post and couldn't - to say 'never' rinse pasta with cold water or add cold water to pot. Heh.

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Made some Falafel last night, and realised too late that I was out of regular oil.
Used walnut oil for frying instead.
Yummy, will do THAT again!

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farmerman wrote:

yeh, we use a liter of Coke when baking a turkey. Rut it right in the pan and use it to baste and just make the oven humid.
500 degrees and 7 minutes per pound. Tastiest and moistiest way to make a turkey.

Spaghetti, always cook with some olive oil in the water and stop trhe boiling by quickly adding a pitcher of cold water.

Once I used a litre of ginger ale to cook a pot roast... It turned the meat a very unpleasant shade of bright green...

Ruined my Christmas dinner... Smile

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Ok, any tips on lobster stew?

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ossobuco wrote:

Spaghetti, never add olive oil to water... do add salt.
Watch closely as spaghetti is approaching al dente-ness, drain fast, add pasta to pan of already hot sauce, toss quickly, put into bowls that have been microwaved to be warm, rush to table of seated hungry people.

(each to his or her own..)

Julia Child used to add only a few tablespoons of spaghetti sauce to the hot drained noodles then she would also add a bit of parmesan cheese to the noodles and toss them.

It does take the moisture out of the noodles.

If you ever leave noodles soaking in water in the fridge and they get too soggy just toss the wet noodles in the microwave on a plate for a minute. this takes the excess water out of the pasta. Then drain the water off the plate. This makes the noodles taste like they were just boiled.

The main reason for al dente noodles is that the longer you cook them the more enrichment you cook out of them... I think they also taste better when they are al dente also the texture is more palatable.

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Everyones tips here seem very edible when it comes to chili. Especially the chocolate and peanut butter ideas...

Though due to the possibility of so many secret ingredients, I am frightened of "chili" sometimes... hehe

I just went into a large Chinese supermarket that just opened in the city I live in. I realized that only about one third of the products that they sell I am capable of eating or able to cook them into something that will actually taste good.

I guess bland is sometimes "safe"...

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Another great use for peanut butter is in stuffing (really!) Just spread it lightly on the bread you're using before breaking it up. I learned to make stuffing from my grandpa -- anything goes was his motto. In addition to the usual bread, celery, onions etc I use diced apple, raisins or dried cranberries, sometimes applesauce to make it moist. I never know what's going to be in the stuffing until I check the leftovers in the fridge Laughing

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Tai Chi wrote:

Another great use for peanut butter is in stuffing (really!) Just spread it lightly on the bread you're using before breaking it up. I learned to make stuffing from my grandpa -- anything goes was his motto. In addition to the usual bread, celery, onions etc I use diced apple, raisins or dried cranberries, sometimes applesauce to make it moist. I never know what's going to be in the stuffing until I check the leftovers in the fridge

I never make homemade stuffing without walnuts, along the same lines. Smile

A friend of mine puts a few diced potatoes in their stuffing.

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