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Recipe: Baines Family Chili

March 7th, 2010

Spring is allllmost here. Putting winter behind us means lots of my favorite foods will be out of place for weeknight dinners. Since that is the case, I think this may be my final batch of chili until next October.

Evan and I have been making chili together from his mom’s recipe for years, but lately I’ve really tried to make it our own, changing up the principles and adding different spices to please our palates.  There’s lots of things you’ll see included in the ingredients that are pretty standard to a pantry (cumin, cocoa powder, brown sugar) and some things that aren’t (Kentucky Bourbon, whole cumin seed, instant coffee) but if you acquire many of these ingredients, they keep forever and a day and they’re staples for which I’m sure you can find other uses.

Also it should be noted that I am making this batch in a Crock Pot Slow Cooker. You can also do this stovetop over really low heat for a few hours. In my experience, truly amazing chili needs at least four hours, but is perfectly passable with less.  Allow at least an hour for prep and initial cooking before you leave it unattended in whatever cooking method you choose.

Spring is officially here March 20, so you have a few weeks yet. Invite some friends over and give Winter a proper sendoff with this stuff.

Ingredients: Basics

• 2 lbs. thin-sliced top sirloin OR fajita beef (ask your butcher, he knows)
• 2 large red onions, chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, minced (yes, I said 10: five to a pound of beef, I always say)
• 1 35 oz. can peeled tomatoes
• 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon (or other whisky: I’ve also used rum to nice effect) - Optional
• olive oil
• sea salt (or table salt; whatever you have or prefer)

Ingredients: Spices

• 4 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin seed
• 1 tsp. whole cumin seed
• 1 tsp. whole fennel seed
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1.5 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder
• 2 habaneros, minced

Directions: Part One

1. Get started by prepping your onions and garlic.
2. Cut the meat into thin strips (if it isn’t already) about 1/2″ wide. Salt meat liberally with sea salt.
3. Coat the bottom of a large skillet or stockpot with olive oil, heat over medium-high heat and add onions. Salt the onions and cook until semi-translucent. If using bourbon, add 1/4 cup to the pan and cook until the liquid is absorbed (another few minutes).
4. Remove about 2/3 of a cup of the onions to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. The rest of the onions go into the Crock Pot.
5. Put a little more olive oil into the bottom of the pan, then lightly brown your meat along with all the minced garlic. Don’t cook it to death, just for five minutes or so. There should still be a fair bit of red showing, but you want to give it a decent sear. Put meat into Crock Pot along with the onions.
6. To the Crock Pot, add: the two cans of tomatoes and all of the spices on the above list.

Now I want to take a second to tell you that there is nothing at all to be afraid of in those two habaneros. If you want to reduce the number you use to one, or if you want to use jalapenos, or if you want to use nothing at all, that is certainly your choice. However, habaneros, when cooked in this way, impart a glorious, tropical flavor to the chili and if you make it with and then without, you will certainly miss them.

Just for those of you who are still deathly afraid of them, I’ve made a video for how to properly chop habaneros. As long as you don’t touch ‘em, you are in good shape. This will show you how.

Directions: Part Two

1. Now that you’ve got everything in the Crock Pot you may be asking yourself: what about those beans? And those onions I reserved? What will become of them?! Set yourself a timer for about 30 minutes short of when you want to eat this delectable chili.  That will be your signal to add the beans and onions. I wait to add those two things because I don’t want my beans mushy and I like a little nuance of texture to the onions in the chili.  You certainly don’t have to wait: go ahead and add it all in if you’re feelin’ froggy, but this is how I do it.
2. Once the chili has been cooking long enough to suit you (or until the smell of this stuff is driving you mad with hunger) give it a taste.  Make sure you get some of the meat in a bite, too, and decide if it needs more salt: if so, add a little at a time, always tasting, until you feel you’ve got it right.
3. Ladle the chili into bowls, serve with sour cream on the side (just in case the spiciness is too much for anyone, though in my opinion, this should be reasonably medium-spicy chili).

Enjoy!