On Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:46:11 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>James Silverton wrote:
>> I tried a recipe for chilli the other day that used some tomatilloes but
>> not much in the way of spices beyond prepared chilli powder and cumin
>> It was rather blah even with the addition of a little Tabasco. I had
>> made enough for two meals and I cooked the second for half an hour more
>> with some oregano, coriander and ancho chile. I not have anchos
>> available the previous day but the second attempt was rather good.
>>
>
>
>No idea why the original recipe had tomatillos. :-P I guess the author
>thought they sounded more Mexicany than tomatoes.
>
>The essential ingredient is dried red chile peppers, and milder ones
>work better than the really hot ones. I like to use a mixture of
>guajillo and ancho peppers. Remove the stems and seeds, soak what's
>left in hot water until they are soft, then blenderize them with the
>soaking water to make a paste and strain out the skins and stray seeds.
> The resulting brick-red thin paste is your base. Add meat, onions,
>garlic, broth, etc, and simmer about an hour. Spices to use are cumin
>and oregano and maybe a little black pepper, but go easy on them because
>they can overpower the chili.
>
>HTH,
>Bob

I'm sure you meant Mexican oregano as there is an enormous taste
difference between the two. ;o)
Janet US