Chili!

<BODY bgcolor=#ffffff><P><H1> <div class="navMenuItem"> <a href="chili/intro.html">Intro</a><br> <a href="chili/begin.html">Before You Begin Cookin..</a><br><br> <a href="chili/smokin.html">Smokin' Chili</a><br> <a href="chili/millenial.html">Millenial Chili</a><br> <a href="chili/oww.html">Oww! Chili</a><br> <a href="chili/buffalohump.html">Buffalo Hump Chili</a><br> <a href="chili/theresa.html">Theresa's Short-Skirt Chili</a><br> <a href="chili/rojos.html">Rojos Y Verde</a><br> <a href="chili/flat.html">Flat Snake Chili</a><br><br> <a href="chili/notes.html">Notes</a><br> <a href="chili/reviews.html">Texas Chili Odyssey</a><br> <a href="chili/contributed.html">Contributed Recipes</a><br> <a href="chili/antique.html">Antique Chili Recipies</a> <br> <a href="chili/history.html">Chili History</a><br> <a href="chili/resources.html">Chili-related Resources And Recipes</a><br> <a href="chili/competition.html">Competition Chili Notes</a><br> <a href="chili/smoked.html">Smoked Chiles</a><br> <br> Other recipes: <br> <a href="chili/gumbo.html">Texican Gumbo</a><br> <a href="chili/crawfish.html">Crawfish Etouffee</a><br> <a href="chili/tortilla-soup.html">Chipotle Tortilla Soup</a><br> </div> <A NAME="TOP" HREF="chili/chili.gif"> <IMG border=0 SRC="chili/chili-icon.gif"></A> Chili!</H1> Chili is a hotly debated subject, with it's own body of myth and folk lore. Everyone thinks their chili is the best, and <I>I</I> think that's what makes it special. <P> <DL> <DD><A HREF="#MYRECIPES">My Recipes</A> <DL> <DD><A HREF="#BEGIN">Before you begin cookin...</A> <DD><A HREF="#SMOKIN">Smokin' Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="#MILLENIAL">Millenial Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="#OWW">Oww! Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="#BUFFALO">Buffalo Hump Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="#THERESA">Theresa's Short-skirt Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="#ROJOS">Rojos Y Verde (Red and Green)</A> <DD><A HREF="#FLAT">Flat Snake Chili</A> <DD><A HREF="chili/gumbo.html">Texican Gumbo</A> <i>well, you need a break now and then...</i><p> </DL> <DD><A HREF="#NOTES">Notes</A> <DD><A HREF="chili/contributed.html">Contributed Recipes</A> <DD><A HREF="chili/resources.html">Chili-related Resources and Recipes</A> <DD><A HREF="chili/competition.html">Jim Bardsley's Competition Chili Notes</A> <DD><A HREF="chili/smoked.html">Smoked Chiles</A> </DL> <br> <P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P> <H2>What's New</H2> <b>Moment of Truth</b> - "Somewhere, there is a chile you cannot eat." This quote from Daniel Pinkwater was one of the three urgent messages that arrived on my brain's doorstep together one recent Saturday morning. I had just taken the first bite of <a href="http://polvos.citysearch.com/4.html"> Polvo's poblano enchiladas with caliente sauce</a>. Message number two was from my lower brain stem, and read: "You've put a <I>live coal</I> in your mouth! Spit the sumbitch *out*, <I>*now*!</I>". Message number three was the realization that all eight of my lunch companions were watching me expectantly.<P> "Uh, oh," I said weakly, and swallowed. I must have looked pretty comical, since everyone burst out laughing. My rep as a hot-food afficianado was now in tatters, and I was face-to-face with a serious, personal and disturbing prospect; I might not be able to eat this!<P> A sobering thought. Could I just not eat it, and hope no one would notice? No, not possible. Too, the hot coal was incredibly tasty, and as my pain subsided, the desire for another bite grew. So, four marguaritas later, I had finished it. Except for a little tittering over the sweat pouring from my brow, my rep survived as well. I have been to the edge and looked into the abyss. And now I'm making plans to go back...<P> <A NAME="MYRECIPES"> <P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"> </A> <P> <A NAME="SMOKIN"><H2>Smokin' Chili</H2></A> This is some of the best chili I've ever made, and it's bound to surprise even the most experienced chili-lover. Smoker required!<P> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3.5 lbs sirloin steaks <DD>1 lb ground pork sausage <DD>2 large white onions <DD><A HREF="#POWDER">5 dried red New Mexico chiles</A> <DD>4 chilpotle chiles <DD>5 7-oz cans whole <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> <DD>one head (!) garlic <DD>six medium tomatos (homegrown, if possible ;-) <DD>one red bell pepper <DD>1/2 tsp dried tarragon <DD>1/2 tsp dried basil <DD>1/2 tsp dried oregano (1) <DD>1/2 tsp dried thyme <DD>1/2 tsp white pepper <DD>1/2 tsp black pepper <DD>2 15-oz cans chicken broth <DD>1 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1 tsp mexican oregano (2) <DD>steak rub </DL> Let's get the sirloin to smokin'. Season the steaks with your favorite steak rub. I dust the steaks with <a href="http://www.fiestaspices.com/">Fiesta brand</a> fajita seasoning, then marinade in lime juice and soy sauce.<P> While that's going on, fire up your smoker. I use a <a href="http://www.chargriller.com">barrel smoker</a>, making a small coal bed at one end, banked on either side with soaked mesquite pieces. When that's ready to go, put the steaks on to smoke (at the other end) in low heat (~250?), until just pink in the middle (hmmm, was this two hours? I can't remember; your milage may vary.)<P> When the steaks are done, slice them 1/2" wide across the grain <I>(there's a little extra to snack on, go ahead :-)</I>. In large pot, melt <I>2 Tbs butter</I>, and saute one chopped onion and half the head of garlic (peeled and crushed) until the onion is soft. Add the sausage and saute until brown. Add the sirloin and 1/2 can of chicken broth. Add the white and black pepper, tarragon, oregano (1), basil and thyme. Simmer covered for one hour, salting to taste.<P> While the first simmer is going on, let's prepare the chile sauce. Cut off the tops of the dried New Mexico chiles to remove the stems and seeds and to expose the interior, leaving them as whole as possible. Cut the tops off of the chipotles, and cut them lengthwise to extract seeds. Set all of the chiles simmering in chicken broth (just enought to cover.) When the chiles are soft (about 45 minutes), remove the New Mexicos from broth and cut them in half, length-wise. For each half, carefully scrape off the inner pulp with a flat knife, angled away from the scraping direction. Then scrape the pulp off the knife into a blender. Add the remaining broth and chipotles, and one whole green chili, and blend into a sauce. <B>Don't stick your face in this stuff!</b><P> Chop the remaining green chiles. Add the green chiles and chile sauce to the pot and simmer covered for another hour (that will make two hours, so far.) <I>(Add half the sauce initially, adding more over time until you think it's right.)</I> Add more chicken broth as needed to keep moist.<P> Now, after two hours of simmering, we're ready to add the rest of the ingredients...<P> Chop the bell pepper. Peel and chop the tomatos, garlic, and onion. Add all of this to the pot, along with the ground comino and oregano (2), and simmer covered one last hour (that makes three!). You can skim the grease off in this stage - it works better if you simmer without stirring for a while. <a href="#THICKENING">Thicken</A> with flour and cool water paste (about 20 minutes before done.)<P> Serve with ice-cold milk, grated cheese, Fritos, and Cheese-Its! :-) <BR><BR><BR> <P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P> <A NAME="MILLENIAL"><H2>Millenial Chili</H2></A> This is a chili somewhat in the style of Chile Colorado; meat, dried red New Mexico chili pods, and little else. However, it does have a twist to it!<P> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3.5 lbs sirloin steaks <DD>1 lb ground pork sausage <DD>1 medium white onion <DD><A HREF="#POWDER">4 dried red New Mexico chiles</A> <DD>4 chilpotle chiles <DD>1 7-oz can whole <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> (optional) <DD>two cloves garlic <DD>1 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1 tsp mexican oregano <DD>steak rub/lime/soy sauce </DL> First, we'll make a chile sauce from the dried chiles. Cut off the tops of the dried New Mexico chiles to remove the stems and seeds and to expose the interior, leaving them as whole as possible. Cut the tops off of the chipotles, and cut them lengthwise to extract seeds. Set all of the chiles simmering in water or broth (just enough to cover) while we move on with the other items.<P> Ok, now we're going to <I>grill the steaks!</I> Off to a good start, eh? I dust the steaks with <a href="http://www.fiestaspices.com/">Fiesta brand</a> fajita seasoning, then marinade in lime juice and soy sauce after a little fork-poking :-) Grill the steaks over hot coals to a medium doneness and set aside. (I use soaked mesquite chips over coals to add to the smokey flavor, but you can now get mesquite-impregnated charcoal; it really works great!) At this time, you can cut off the extra half-pound I specified and snack on it. This will hopefully prevent you from abandoning the whole project and just eating the steaks!<P> Now we'll prepare the rest of the ingredients in a (big) oven-ready pot or stove-top casserole dish (with a secure lid). Add the pork sausage, onion, and garlic, and saute until the onion is soft. <P> Chop the steaks into 1/2-inch cubes and add to pot. Add a beer of your choice (I cook with Tecate!) <I>I have been corrected in my recollection of the recipe at this point. I supposedly added a cup of white wine, and used beer subsequently to keep it moist. To which I responded as the Scarecrow did while pointing in opposite directions; "That way's nice!"</I> Chop and add the green chiles.<P> Now, back to the chile sauce. Remove the New Mexicos from liquid (after they have softened; about 30-40 minutes) and cut them in half, length-wise. For each half, carefully scrape off the inner pulp with a flat knife, angled away from the scraping direction. Then scrape the pulp off the knife into a blender. Add the remaining liquid and chipotles, and blend into a beautiful sauce. <B>Don't stick your face in this stuff!</b><P> Add the other spices to the pot, and about half of the sauce. <I>Be careful to consider that the meat is the star of this show; err on the side of too little sauce, rather than too much!</I> Cover and put in 300-degree oven for one hour.<P> After the hour, test for spice and moisture. Add more or all of the sauce, if you like, and probably more beer to keep it from drying out too much. Put back in oven for another hour.<P> Check for doneness and moisture. (Another hour's cooking isn't out of the question.) The sirloin should come apart easily, and you should have a rich, flowing gravy, not watery. Moisten with more beer, if necessary. Serve with chopped avacado and sharp, white New York cheese. Yow! <BR><BR><BR> <P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P> </A> <P> <A NAME="OWW"><H2>Oww! Chili</H2></A> <font size=-1><I>Warning! Chipotle Hazard!</I> </font> I like mild chili, really, but when it comes to chipotles, you have to be prepared to take responsiblity for your own pain. The faint of heart should move on to the next recipe. Check out my <A HREF="chili/tortilla-soup.html">chipotle torotilla soup</a>, while you're at it! <P> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3 lbs ground or whole sirloin <DD>9 fresh poblano peppers <DD>3 medium onions <DD>4 10-oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes <DD>12 dried chipotle peppers <DD>2 Tbsp New Mexico chile powder <DD>1 Tbsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1 Tbsp paprika <DD>three cloves garlic <DD>5 fresh chopped sage leafs <DD>2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano </DL> Cut the chipotles in half, and cover with hot water, steeping for 30 minutes. After they soften, add the water and chipotles to blender with garlic and blend till smooth. Resist the temptation to smell this up close, or you <I>will</I> go "oww!" <blockquote> <I><font size=-1>In spite of having written these wise words, and having read them dozens of times, I still can't stop myself from taking a whiff. It always hurts, but I always do it. It this the essence of my being? My Chiliness? </font></I> </blockquote> <P> If using whole sirloin, slice it thin across the grain. Saute the meat until grey. Add chopped onion and brown on hight heat until the onion is dark and carmelized (best done in non-stick pan). Add meat, chipotle sauce, tomatoes and spices to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer till meat is tender (about an hour and a half.) <P> Blister poblanos in a broiler (burn skin till black, both sides), and then put in a plastic bag for a few minutes. Dig this aroma! Remove skins and chop. Add to pot for last 20 minutes. <BR><BR><BR> <P><A NAME="BUFFALO"><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"></A><P> </A> <P> <H2><IMG border=0 SRC="chili/raven-steals-sun-icon.gif"> <A HREF="http://www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/index.html"> Buffalo Hump Chili</A></H2> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3 lbs ground bison <DD>3 fresh poblano peppers <DD>2 medium onions <DD>3 10-oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes <DD>4.5 Tbsp New Mexico chile powder <DD>1.5 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1.5 tsp paprika <DD>three cloves garlic <DD>1 fresh lime </DL> I found the bison at a health food store - that's a good bet for you, too. The New Mexico chili powder might be had from one of a number of <A HREF="chili/resources.html">mail-order resources</a> if you don't have a local source. The Rotel tomatoes are hot, so you can substitute reqular tomatoes to cool it a little (but it's gonna be hot anyway!)<P> Brown the bison meat. Bison is lean and clumpy, so add a little oil and break it up as you brown it. Add finely chopped onions and garlic. When onions are clear, add tomatoes and spices. Add water to barely cover, and simmer until meat is tender. Add chopped poblanos for last 20 minutes of simmer, and stir in lime juice before serving. <I>You're really gonna be surprised!</I><P> <I>The commercialization of buffalo meat as a food is thought by some to be in the best interest of the species, given it's <A HREF="http://www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/index.html">precarious status</a> in the U.S. Some don't agree. Growing up in central Texas, I didn't lay eyes on a live buffalo until I was thirty. Now there are several herds within a 30 minute drive.<P> I recently met a buffalo in person; I put my hands in its <b>deep</b> fur, and it ate from my hand with its soft, wide black lips and black tongue. They are so gigantic; only when you're right next to it does the size of the animal sink in, and the magnitude of our loss become clear.</i><P> <I>The graphic above is ``Raven Steals the Sun'', from the <A HREF="http://www.indianpueblo.org/ipcc/"> Pueblo Cultural Center</A>.</I> <BR><BR><BR> <P><A NAME="THERESA"><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"></A><P> <P> <H2><A HREF="ther.html"> <IMG border=0 SRC="ther/t2/t2-16-sm.gif"></A> <A HREF="ther.html">Theresa's</A> Short-skirt Chili</H2> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3 lbs beef skirt (tenderized, if possible) <DD>1/4 cup honey <DD>1/4 cup soy sauce <DD>16 oz canned <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> (4 4-oz cans) <DD>3 tomatoes <DD>1 large white onion <DD><A HREF="#POWDER">4 dried chili anchos</A> <DD>2 cloves garlic <DD>2 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1 tsp Mexican oregano <DD>1 tsp paprika </DL> Cut the stems from the anchos, and remove seeds. Cover with boiling water and let sit for an hour. Blend in blender with the garlic until smooth.<P> <A href="chili/fajitas.gif"><img border=0 align=right src="chili/fajitas-icon.gif"></A> Slightly warm the honey and mix in the soy sauce. Coat beef skirt with meat tenderizer (if you think necessary) and honey-soy and let sit 15 minutes. Cook beef skirt on very hot grill, basting often with honey/soy mixture. I prefer a fairly charred result. When done <I>properly</I>, this activity should remind you of watching the Kuwaiti oil fields on CNN. <B>Warning - this procedure produces yummy-tasting carcinagens!</b> <P> Cut beef skirt <I>across the grain</I> into 1/4" strips, and set aside a little for snacking. Dice the <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a>, onion, and tomatoes. Add the beef, vegetables, and spices to large pot. Add half the ancho sauce and water or beer to barely cover. Add more ancho sauce over time to suit your taste. Cook until meat is <I>really</I> tender, which, for skirt, could be days. <I>(Just kidding!)</I> <BR><BR><BR> <P><A NAME="ROJOS"><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"></A><P> <H2><A HREF="ther.html"><IMG border=0 SRC="chili/t3-2-sm.gif"></A> Rojos Y Verde (Red and Green)</H2> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>3 lb lean roast (sholder) <DD>20 oz canned <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> (5 4-oz cans) or about 15 whole, skinned green chiles <DD>3 tomatillos (canned or fresh) <DD>handful of dried red peppers (arbol, finger-hots, pequins, or tai peppers, very optional) <DD>2 small white onions <DD>1 clove garlic <DD>2 tsp paprika <DD>1 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>1 tsp Mexican oregano <DD>1 bay leaf </DL> This chili is in the style of New Mexico green chile stew.<P> Remove stems from dried red peppers and chop into parts to separate out the seeds and expose interiors. Cover with boiling water and let sit for an hour. Drain and chop fine, or blend into smooth sauce with blender. Don't get this stuff in your eyes! This is where protective clothing might come in handy. Really. (Note - This ingredient is optional. However, without it, the dish would be called <i>Y Verde</i> :-) Rather than exclude it, just add a little at a time until it's "exciting".) <P> Cube the meat into 1-inch chunks and coat with flour. Brown the meat on all sides in skillet with oil (peanut oil on medium-high heat is best). Don't try to do all the meat at once - try about a dozen cubes at a time. Drain oil from skillet, and deglaze into pot with meat. Add water to about one inch depth, salt to taste, and simmer one hour over low heat.<P> Dice the <a href=notes.html#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a>, finely dice the <a href="notes.html#TOMATILLOS">tomatillos</A>, and coarse-cut one onion. Add to meat along with a little more water, and simmer another hour.<P> Dice the garlic and coarse-chop the other onion and add to pot. Add the spices and red chiles to pot with a little more water and simmer another hour. (You might consider adding red/new potatoes or coarse-cut corn-on-the-cob at this point.)<P> When meat is falling-apart tender, serve topped with slices of avacado and white cheese, along with sides of beans and jalapeno cornbread.<P> <i>Note - this is a refined version of the original recipe. Live, learn, and eat :-)</i> <P><A NAME="FLAT"><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"></A><P> <H2><A HREF="chili/snake1.gif"> <IMG border=0 SRC="chili/snake1-icon.gif"></A> Flat Snake Chili</H2> <P> <DL>Ingredients: <DD>2 lbs lean ground beef <DD>1.5 lbs german link sausage <DD><A HREF="#POWDER">4 dried chili anchos</A> <DD>16 oz canned <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> (4 4-oz cans) <DD>4 large tomatoes <DD>1 large white onion <DD>3 cloves garlic <DD>2 tsp ground comino (cumin seed) <DD>2 tsp paprika <DD>1 tsp Mexican oregano </DL> Cut the stems from the anchos and remove seeds. Cover with boiling water and let sit for an hour. Blend in blender until smooth.<P> Dice the sausage, onions and garlic, then saute over medium heat until onions are soft. If everyone in the house isn't already watching you do this, they will soon appear. The recipe calls for an extra half-pound of sausage so you can give everybody a taste to get them out of the kitchen. (Thousands of Germans settled here in central Texas in the 1800's, and their decendants still make fabulous sausage. I use the sage-flavored variety from Elgin.)<P> Drain off the oodles of lucious sausage grease (if you <I>must</I>!) and add the ground beef to the pot to brown. Dice the <a href=#GREENCHILES>green chiles</a> and tomatoes. Add the vegetables and spices to the pot. Add half the ancho sauce and water or beer to barely cover. Add more ancho sauce over time to suit your taste. Simmer until you can't stand it. <BR><BR><BR> <A NAME="BEGIN"><P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P></A> <H2>Before You Begin Cookin...</H2> There are several things you should consider before cooking any of these recipes, as several readers have pointed out. First, consider protective clothing, or at least latex gloves before handling real chiles! Some people are immune to skin contact, but other's have a skin sensitivity that makes exposure to hot chiles amount to second-degree burns! Until you expose yourself, you don't know which you are! And <I>everyone</I> regrets touching delicate parts after chile handling - nostrils, eyes, ears, um, other stuff...<P> Secondly, these recipes are spicy. If you need to lighten up the heat, you can do several things. First, you can just reduce the amount of chiles or chile sauce you use in the recipe. (Additional chile sauce can be served at table for the adventurous.) Secondly, you can replace chiles or chile powder with paprika powder, which is a chile that has had the heat bred out of it, but retains chile flavor. You will have to experiment with how much to use, adding a little at a time until you like it.<P> Lastly, have some fun! Don't worry, the dog will be glad to eat your mistakes, no matter how hot it is. (They can't seem to help themselves :-)<P> <A NAME="NOTES"><P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P></A> <H2><IMG SRC="chili/chili-icon.gif"> Notes</H2> <P> <dl> <dd><a href="#TOOHOT">Too hot/Cooling Off!</a> <dd><a href="#TOOSALTY">Too salty!</a> <dd><a href="#POWDER">Using Dried Chiles vs. Chile Powder</A> <dd><a href="#DRIEDCHILES">Preparing Dried Chile Peppers</a> <dd><a href="#SEASONINGS">Seasonings</a> <dd><a href="#SKIMMING">Skimming Grease</a> <dd><a href="#MEATSTOCKS">Meats and Stocks</a> <dd><a href="#CHIPS">Chips on the Side</a> <dd><a href="#TOMATOS">Tomatos</a> <dd><a href="#TOMATILLOS">Tomatillos</a> <dd><a href="#GREENCHILES">Green Chiles</A> <dd><a href="#THICKENING">Thickening</a> <dd><a href="#ADDINGOIL">Adding Oil or Fat </a> <dd><a href="#ALCOHOL">Alcohol </a> <dd><a href="#PREPOSITIONS">Prepositions</a> </dl> <a name="TOOHOT"><b>Too hot/Cooling Off!</b></a> - if the chili's too hot for you, or you just need a little break from the heat, you can use ice cream, sherbet, or ice cold milk for immediate relief. I serve chili with giant frosted mugs of milk. Ahh! <P> Rosslyn Gallagher suggests sliced cucumber for this purpose. That <i>does</i> sound cool!<P> If you've made a batch of chili that's just too hot, and want to fix the whole thing, you don't have a lot of options (that I know of). You can thicken the chili with flour and water (even if you have to add more liquid to the chili to have something to thicken), or you can make more chili of a mild type and mix with the original. <P> <a name="TOOSALTY"><b>Too Salty!</b></a> - if you added too much salt, you can dilute the recipe by adding more <i>unsalted</i> chili, or try Jillian Swanson's advice:<p> <blockquote> <i>I have a trick for you to make it unsalty. Take a peeled whole potatoe and simmer it with the chili until it gets soft. I had to use 3 potatoes, but it worked ! We ate it the next day. </i></blockquote><p> <A NAME="POWDER"><b>Using Dried Chiles vs. Chile Powder</b></A> - Some recipes here call for preparing dried chiles such as ancho or New Mexico varieties. You can substitute a chile powder for these, but I don't know what an accurate equivalent would be. I think one tablespoon of powder per pound of meat is a good place to start. As with the blended chile sauces, add half of the total amount of powder initially, gradually adding more until it's right for you. <P> <B>Chile</B> powder is <I>not</I> the same as <B>chili</B> powder. The former is pure powdered chiles, while the later is chile powder plus a bunch of other spices (ie. "instant chili"). <P> <a name="DRIEDCHILES"><b>Preparing Dried Peppers</b></a> - Most peppers can be re-hydrated by removing the stems and seeds, and soaking or simmering them in hot water for an hour or so. They can then be blended into a sauce using a little water or a stock for thinning. (Some people claim that leaving the seeds in adds to the heat sensation, but I've heard that the seeds don't actually contain much capsaicin.) Dried New Mexico or Anaheim chiles require more work...<P> The New Mexico/Anaheim varieties have smooth, tough skin. <b>Do not</b> try the soak-and-blend technique; you'll get a mess that resembles ground-up plastic! Instead, cut off the tops of the peppers to remove the stems and seeds and to expose the interior. Steep them for an hour in hot water. Then cut the peppers in half length-wise. For each half, carefully scrape off the inner pulp with a flat knife, angled away from the scraping direction. Then scrape the pulp off the knife into the blender. Add a little water or stock to blend into sauce. This take some practice, but the rewards are great!<P> If you have a food processor, you can make your own chile powders. I don't do this, but it probably amounts to, ``put dried peppers in food processor and press the `powder' button.'' <P> <a name="SEASONINGS"><b>Seasonings</b></a> - I don't mention salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and that sort thing, because you should use them according to your own taste and experience. The recipes above are just a starting point.<P> <a name="SKIMMING"><b>Skimming Grease</b></a> - If you cover the simmering pot and leave undisturbed (some people are compulsive stirrers), the grease will be easier to skim. I never used to skim, but I do now in deference to my advancing years and clogging arteries. It shouldn't taste different, but it does. <I>Sigh</I>. The best approach to this problem is to grind your own low-fat cuts (see next section).<P> <a name="MEATSTOCKS"><b>Meats and Stocks</b></a> - This is an area where you can let your imagination run free. Common meats are beef round, chuck, and roasts. Other (sometimes more costly) alternatives are sirloin, skirt, chuck tender, and various cuts of pork. If you want to learn stocks, go to the most excellent Cajun cooking site: <a href="http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html">The Creole and Cajun Recipe Page</a>. Emu, ostrich, venison, buffalo, water buffalo, moose, and elk are interesting to use, but each call for special knowledge of cooking game meats (which I don't *yet* possess). Go <a href="http://www.fishersnet.com/recipe.html">here</a> for some guidance.<P> These meats can be ground or cubed. My beef skirt recipe calls for strips. I bought a small meat grinder so I could select and trim my own ground meat. Believe me, spending a few extra bucks on some yummy sirloin is well worth it.<P> Many competitive chili cooks use chicken broth in their chili. I have, and I think it definitely improves a meat that can't quite stand on its own. My only observation is that it seems to lower the refrigerator lifetime of the chili. (I cool and refrigerate my chili from hot simmer to cold without lifting the lid. This allows a lifetime of several weeks if you spoon out cold portions.)<P> The best option is to cool with closed lid, then spoon into freezer bags and freeze. Everyone seems to agree that freezing does not harm, and perhaps helps (I don't know how) the taste.<P> <a name="CHIPS"><b>Chips on the Side</b></a> - You can make great tortilla chips without oil. Put four corn tortillas on a lightly greased plate and microwave them on high power for 5 minutes. Watch out! The plate will be mighty hot! Yum! (Fritos are still my favorite.)<P> <a name="TOMATOS"><b>Tomatos</b></a> - While I mention canned tomatos in some of the recipes, there is no substitute for home-grown tomatos. Period.<P> <b><a name=TOMATILLOS>Tomatillos</a></b> - tomatillos are small green Mexican tomatos. They have a tart/sweet flavor, and a paper-like husk. To prepare, remove the husk and rub under running water to remove the tacky residue from the skin. Remove the stem and either chop fine or blend.<P> <b><A name=GREENCHILES>Green Chiles</A></b> - Fresh green chiles are preferable to canned, but not available everywhere. If you can find them, roast them all over to remove the skin before using. Here in Austin, a local cafe has a green chile festival every fall, and sells fresh-roasted chiles by the pound. These can be frozen and used for months.<P> Most of these recipes have green chiles because I can't help myself. Except for the Rojos Y Verde, you can leave them out. <I>(But <A HREF="ther.html">Theresa</a> will think you're a wimp!)</I> <P> <a name="THICKENING"><b>Thickening</b></a> - Many cooks thicken their chili with masa or wheat flour, or with corn starch. In the recipes above, there is plenty of chili pulp, so no thickening is required. I think thickening softens the flavor somewhat, which may be called for if you're feeding Aunt Edna. So, if you must, mix a tablespoon flour with 1-2 tablespoons cool water and stir into chili for last twenty minutes of simmer. (Repeat after ten minutes if still too thin.) Reader Scott Hudson says: <blockquote> <I>I found the best roux to be bacon grease and flour. Just use about 1 cup of grease and flour to thicken and stir into the boiling chili slowly until the chili ``seizes''.</I> </blockquote> Urk! I can already feel my <I>arteries</I> seizing! An alternative is offered by John Condon: <blockquote> <I>I have found if you throw some frozen french fries into your chili as it cooks, this will thicken your sauce. As the fries break down they release the starch in the potatos and this thickens the sauce without flour. </I></blockquote> Finally, George Blackstone suggests using a little arrowroot to thicken, and he stresses the ``little''. <P> <a name="ADDINGOIL"><b>Adding Oil or Fat</b></a> - some meats such as venison are so lean that the spice flavors are not conveyed properly. Unless you're making a super-low-fat chili on purpose, taste can be enhanced by adding a little oil for these meats (a tablelspoon or so should do it).<P> <a name="ALCOHOL"><b>Alcohol</b></a> - the evaporation of alcohol during cooking can leach the aromatics from your chili. If you use an alcoholic drink for flavoring, perhaps ``pre-cooking'' it can ameliorate the effect. When in doubt, relax. <P> <a name=PREPOSITIONS><b>Prepositions</b></A> - <I>From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.</I> - Churchhill <BR><BR><BR> <P><IMG SRC="images/thin-line.gif"><P> <table> <tr> <td> Back to <A HREF="/~wallen">Wayne's page</a>. <P><A HREF="mailto:wallen@prismnet.com">wallen@prismnet.com</A><br> <I><a target="copyright" href="copyright.html">Copyright</a> © 1994-2006 Wayne Preston Allen. All rights reserved.</I>. </td> <td align=right> <a href="http://www.eff.org"><img src="images/btn_poweredby_freedom.gif"></a> </td> </tr> </table> </body>