Man oh man do I love my Chili!
I am going to start this blog with some recipes I have found.
This weekend I am going to make a smoke house Chili and post a follow up :) Kay told me J was going to make some and it sparked me into making some as well. Chili is such a warm fall comfort food for me. I have had many types from sweet to smokey to OMG water! Doooo something!
Pueblo Red Chili
Here is a very ancient recipe from New Mexico's Pueblo Indians, although it's not nearly as old as Whale Chili.
- 5 dried red New Mexican Chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds pork, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 teaspoon pork fat
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Cornstarch to thicken, if necessary
Combine the Chiles and water in a blender and puree into a paste.
Fry the pork in a skillet with the fat until browned. Drain off the fat. Add the pureed Chiles and the remaining ingredients and cook, covered, for about 1 hour or until the pork is tender. Add water if the Chili is too thick, and cornstarch if it is too thin.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
This slightly modified recipe, originally published in the Mission Cookbook of the St. Ann's Society of Tucson in 1909, was a chili con carne that was also called picadillo. It is a rather primitive chili recipe that sometimes was "fancied up" with raisins, wine, and olives.
- 1 pound beefsteak, coarsely ground
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons lard or shortening
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Chile powder
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 tomato, diced
In a bowl, combine the beefsteak and onion and mix well. Heat the lard in a pan and add the beefsteak and onion mix. While it browns, sprinkle it with the flour and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the chili powder to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Add the this chili water to the browned meat, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomato and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency.
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Mild
Pete Benavidez was the owner of the long-gone Videz Cafe in Albuquerque. This recipe is for his classic red Chili, as collected by Dick Beeson in the early Chili Pepper magazine.
- 6 dried red New Mexican Chiles, stems and seeds removed, or a blender container packed loosely with the dried Chiles
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
- Salt to taste
- ½ pound pork, either cubed from a roast, or chops, or even bones with meat
- 1 to 1½ pounds very lean ground beef
Cover the Chili with very hot water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until limp and partially rehydrated. Place the Chiles back in the blender (they should loosely fill 3/4 of the container; if more, make two small batches.) Fill the container up near the top with water. Drop in the clove of garlic and sprinkle the top with the oregano. Add a little salt at this stage if you wish. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until a homogeneous or orangish-red mixture is obtained.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the pork. Cook, covered over a very low heat or uncovered at a slight bubble, for 2 to 3 hours. If cooked uncovered, periodically add water back to original level to maintain proper consistency--medium soupy.
Remove the pork pieces and save for another meal such as carne adovada. Place the Chili sauce in the refrigerator and cool. Remove any fat that congeals on the top.
Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and sauté until the meat is no longer pink.
Combine the reserved sauce and beef and simmer, covered, for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
It is better if the sauce is on the thin side, it can always be thickened with a flour and water paste and cooked for an additional 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
Here is a classic recipe from Nancy Gerlach, food editor the Fiery-Foods & Barbecue SuperSite.. She wrote: "When you order 'chili' in New Mexico, this is what you will be served. It is a basic recipe that has its roots in very old Pueblo Indian cooking. Beef can also be substituted in this recipe."
- 6 to 8 dried red Chiles, stems removed
- 2 pounds pork, cut into 1½ -inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups water or beef broth
- Salt to taste
Place the Chiles on a sheet pan in a 250 degree oven and toast for 15 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Place the Chiles in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes until soft. Place them in a blender, with the water, and puree until smooth.
Brown the pork in the oil. Add the garlic and saute. Pour off any excess fat.
Combine the Chili mixture, pork and remaining water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is very tender and starts to fall apart, at least 2 hours.
Yield: 6 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
Doña Josefita's Ranch-Style Green Chili
This recipe is a classic version of New Mexican green Chili. It first appeared in New Mexico Magazine in 1947.
- 12 large green New Mexico Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 pound round steak, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
- 2½ cups water
Chop the Chiles into small pieces, the smaller the better. Place the Chili and garlic in a skillet. Add the tomato, season with salt and pepper. Add chopped round and fry in skillet.
Add 2½ cups of water to the fried meat. Boil for 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium-hot
Albuquerque chef and caterer Bill Keller won second place at Tucson's Great American Mexican Food Cook-Off in 1987 with this simple but delicious green Chili.
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 1 ½ pound pork butt, diced
- 2 tablespoons white pepper
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 4 tablespoons cumin
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons chicken boullion granules
- 8 ounces chopped hot green New Mexican Chile
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
Heat the lard in a skillet and add the pork. Cook but don't brown the pork. Add the remaining ingredients except the potato and cook for 30 minutes. Add the potato and cook until the potato is done, about 20 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
Scott Almy of Santa Fe placed third in Tucson's Great American Mexican Food Cook-Off in 1987 with this amalgam of Texas and Southwestern styles.
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound pork butt, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound premium ground beef
- 2 green bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- ½ pound frozen or canned chopped Hatch New Mexican green Chile
- 1 beer (12 ounces)
- Water as needed
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans
- 2 cups cooked kidney beans, including the liquid
- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 to 1 cup Chimayo red Chile powder (cook's choice)
In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the the cubed pork and beef, and sear until a rich, dark color develops. Add the ground pork and beef and cook until browned. Drain off all fat.
Add the bell peppers, celery, onions, and green Chile. Pour in the beer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes over very low heat.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 1 hour, adding water if necessary. Cool and refrigerate overnight, and reheat and serve it the next day.
Yield: 12 servings
Heat Scale: Medium-hot
Hardfat Bentley's Lone Star Chili
Our friend Jon Bentley, who grew up in Texas but lives in New Mexico, has divided loyalties. This recipe reveals influences from both states. He noted: "For the roadkill version, substitute armadillo, 'coon, possum, or other toothsome, recently procurred meat. As with all game, double the amount of Chili and beer. Oil guests appropriately with beers, tequila, or mezcal."
- 6 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed New Mexican red Chile
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 pounds coarsely ground chuck
- 8 cups water
- 1 or 2 Lone Star longneck beers
- 10 to 15 New Mexican red Chile pods, stems and seeds removed
- 8 cups water (or more if needed)
- 1 1/4 cups tomato paste
- 2 dashes cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the two oils in a large pot and add the crushed red Chile and stir well. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Add the chuck, water, beer and simmer until the meat turns grey, stirring often.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, combine the Chile pods and the water and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender and add to the simmering meat.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until the mixture has thickened. You may need to add more water if it is too thick.
Serve with Lone Star or Mexican beer and beans on the side, but don't put any beans in the damn Chili!
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Heat Scale: Medium-hot
