Everyone claims their chili to be the “best”, and I make no claim that mine is, although most people who have enjoyed a bowl of my chili have asked for the recipe. I’m not entering competitions, I’m not trying to win awards, I just like to cook, and this time of year, chili is a great way to kill several hours chopping, marinating, drinking, and smelling… and not necessarily in that order mind you. Anyway, here’s a little recipe I’ve created and refined over the years that a couple of friends have recently asked for, so I now share it with you, in case you’d like to enjoy a nice homemade pot of chili on these chilly fall weekend afternoons with a cold, golden lager and a great football or basketball game on the tube. I call this my “$50.00 Chili” because if you don’t have these ingredients at home, chances are you’ll spend $50.00 purchasing them at your local grocer… and I’d be lucky to win $50.00 if I entered this in a real competition. So, here it goes…
Jack Shell’s $50.00 Chili
Marinate 3 lbs of ground beef or chopped tri-tip steak (bottom sirloin – common on the West Coast or Costco) in Worcestershire sauce for a couple of hours, brown and dice to your desired thickness, drain fat, set aside.
Combine browned beef with a 1/2 cup of corn oil, and 16 oz. domestic beer (cheap stuff… Bud, Miller, Pabst, Coors, Rolling Rock… whatever), one 6 oz can of tomato sauce, one small can of tomato paste for flavor and thickness, along with the following ingredients into slow cooker or low boil on stove:
Half a jar of Mexene chili powder (approx 1 cup)
4-5 cloves fresh minced garlic
1 large chopped red onion
1/2 cup boiled and de-seeded finely chopped serrano peppers (boiling kills some of the heat)
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Kosher salt (or celery salt)
1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
Toss in a tablespoon or two of cayenne pepper if you really wanna heat things up.
Gradually add cumin toward the end, because it can’t get too hot or the spice can lose it’s flavor which is very important to the chili flavor. I like a lot of cumin in my chili, so I will use about 3 tablespoons (sometimes more, depends on how much beer I’ve had as I make it).
Add all ingredients gradually to taste, and feel free to make it your own, because after all, EVERYONE has their OWN “famous chili”. You want more salt? Add more salt. You want tomatoes? Add a can of chopped tomatoes or Rotel in lieu of tomato sauce. Want continuous flatulence? Rinse and add a can of dark red kidney beans. Want it thicker? Add some masa (corn) flour and a tablespoon of hot tap water and stir.
I like my chili to simmer for no less than three hours, stirring about once every fifteen to thirty minutes, and making sure nothing gets burned. If I’m cooking it in the Crock Pot, then I will even let it sit overnight. Us Midwesterners love our chili on top of spaghetti, but you can eat it however you like it.
Top it “Jack’s Way” with grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, chopped scallions, and saltine crackers, or… add a dollop of Daisy if it’s still too damn hot, and for added flavor.
Most of all, have fun. Chili is my favorite thing to cook this time of year, and everyone who has tried this recipe has loved it, but Lord knows it’s just a recipe. There are a thousand ways to make it and no real rules. These are just mine.
There you go!
Happy Autumn/Early Winter…
