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wrote:
> We have a favorite chili recipe that we've been making for years.
>
> Towards the end of cooking, I mix some masa with warm water so that
> it's slightly creamy (not thick or pasty). I add this to the chili
> for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking, and it adds a nice richness.
>
> The last time I made it, when I added the masa/water mixture, it
> immediately formed clumps. It never redissolved. I fished out as
> many clumps as I could, but the finished product was bad, because
> there were still lots of little clumps that were like eating dough.
>
> Worst thing is, it was a triple batch for freezing, so it mocked me
> for months to come.
>
> I'm making chili again tomorrow. I hate to leave out the masa out of
> fear, I really like the texture it adds.
>
> What do you think went wrong the last time?
>

Not enough water in the masa. If you are paranoid about it now, add a
little of the hot chili to the masa paste to "temper" it before you dump
it into the big batch.

(I use a little bit of rolled oats if my chili needs thickening)

Bob