Killer Chili!

Note to the world:

I didn't realize how hard it was to write down a simple recipe. This is one tough recipe. You have to prepare one meat at a time and add to the mix at different times. I hope I wrote it in a legible fashion. I did try to edit it a number of times. Please read the whole recipe before trying to cook it. Please let me know how it came out, and if you have any suggestions. Enjoy!

Killer Chili

By Barry Atric

All ingredients are measured as you wish. If you add too much hot stuff, you will have to deal with the consequences :)>!

For heat, I usually add that afterwards to taste. That way, my wife doesn’t have to put up with the extreme heat. The exception to this is that I do add chili powder to the mix and let it simmer along with the food.

Tools

• I use a large crock pot since it takes hours to simmer the chili.
• 1 large frying pan of your choice. I usually prep the pan with olive oil, after I spray with PAM. I pour about a tablespoon into the pan, and then spread it over all surfaces with a paper towel. I pour out any extra. This helps with browning and flavoring.
• Several large spoons and spatulas.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef cubes. You can use cheap one or expensive ones. I use the expensive stuff, with as little fat as possible.
• 1 pound of ground beef. Again, I use the lowest fat content I can find. 94% has 6% fat content and is about the lowest.
• 6 cans of Beans – you can use any canned beans you want, except baked beans. I use Pintos, Black eyed peas, dark and light red kidney, black, and anything else I find that looks interesting. Beans are high in protein and fiber. Good stuff. Anything left over can be used for the next meal.
• 1 box of frozen spinach – I buy the boxes of spinach that are in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can use fresh if you want to take the time to cook it properly.
• 3 stalks of Celery
• 3 carrots
• 6 cans of various types of tomatoes – I use stewed, Italian, cubed. You can use whatever you like. Again, anything left over can be used for the next meal. I have a really large crock pot, so I can pretty much add all 6 cans.
• 1 can of tomato paste
• Spices and seasonings. I use sea salt, and other “salty” seasonings. I don’t use sweet seasonings for this chili. You may use anything you can find in the spice rack that you like.
• Cinnamon – I use a tablespoon of this in the mix. It tastes good to me and adds a unique flavor.
• Chili powder – use a little for calm, and more for wild. At least one tablespoon seems to be a good compromise. Chili powder to me doesn’t really make things hot as it does make it taste good.
• Paprika – good stuff that’s good for you.
• Garlic, either powder, or fresh. A little goes a long way.
• Onions – the white ones are mild. The red skin ones are pungent. Your choice. I use one onion.
• Hot Peppers – I buy a jar of chopped jalapenos, and add a one teaspoon. I also like banana peppers. Add to taste, but be careful if you are sharing this meal with wimps! Don’t use the dried chopped peppers that you find in the Italian restaurants. They add heat, not flavor. I stay away from the seriously hot peppers like habaneras.
• 1 tablespoon of Tabasco (I'd use the whole bottle if I could get away with it!)
• 1 Chopped green pepper
• 1 chopped red sweet pepper
• 1 chopped orange pepper
• 2 beef bullion cubes (for the beef cube preparation)

Tenderizing meat

This technique works great for Bariatric patients. If you always wondered how it was done, now you'll know.

Heat the frying pan to medium heat with olive oil added.

Add the beef cubes to the hot frying pan, and brown each side of the cubes. You don’t have to cook the cube all the way through, just brown the outside. The thing is to get all the red out! You don't have to cut the pieces open to do that.

Unless the heat is turned way up, you can’t really burn the meat, so don’t worry about it.

Take your time. It’s better to slightly overcook the beef, than to undercook it.

You may add meat tenderizer, or seasonings of your choice, but it’s not really necessary. The meat will be buried in the chili and will taste great no matter what.

When the beef is browned to your liking, add water to cover the beef and bring to a boil using high heat.

Add 2 beef bullion cubes to the water as it starts to warm.

Stir occasionally while heating the water to dissolve the bullion. If the water falls below the beef cubes, add more water.

When the water reaches a full boil, cover the frying pan and lower the heat to simmer.

Set the timer for 65 minutes. Check the beef to make sure there is plenty of water.

In the meantime, turn the crock pot up to high heat and put lid aside. Allow the crock pot to stay on high for 15 minutes, then turn it down to low again. You should do this just before you add the meat to the crock pot.

Lift the beef cubes out of the water with a slotted spoon, drain and drop into the crock pot. You may use the water as a base for soup, or simply discard.

How to cook!

Here are the instructions once you finish with the meat prep.

Turn on the crock pot dry to a “warm” setting.

Prepare ground beef in frying pan. Make sure the ground beef is fully cooked. Use medium-high heat setting. Drain and discard any fat. When ready, add the ground beef to the tomatoes.

While browning the ground beef in the separate frying pan, add tomato paste to the crock pot.

Add canned tomatoes to the paste. Do not drain the cans before you add them to the crock pot. The liquid helps to even out any harsh flavors. Stir to mix.

Add seasonings. Stir all seasonings into mixture of tomatoes and beef. Put the cover on the crock pot. Sea salt, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, paprika, etc. Add green peppers, carrots, celery. If you have any ideas for other veggies, feel free to add them here.

Prepare spinach in microwave container, and then add to mixture.

Prepare beef cubes (see above) after adding ground beef to the crock pot.

Add the prepared beef cubes to the mix. Stir to cover.

Cover the crock pot, and set your reminder timer for hourly checks. Stir once an hour for 4 to 6 hours.

1 hour before finishing, turn the heat to high, and add 1 can of beans at a time to the mix. Drain each can before adding. Stir each can in the mix before adding the next can. This will allow you to judge how much room you have in the crock pot to not overfill.

After adding the beans, cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, before turning back down to low heat.

The chili can be served anytime after that. I have a “keep warm” setting that I use so I don’t have to feel obligated to eat right away.

The chili can be saved in containers in the freezer until you want them.