On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 12:16:16 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:
>Michael Odom wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 23:23:19 -0600, "Scott Jensen" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have recently discovered I have a mild allergy to tomatoes. :-(
>>>
>>>Is there such a thing as tomato-less chili??? If so, recipes or URLs to
>>>them please!
>>>
>>
>> Yes. Chili is a meat stew seasoned with garlic, red chiles, and
>> soetimes oregano. Chili does not have tomatoes in it.
>>
>> Check he http://www.chili.org/
>>
>>
>> modom
>>
>> "Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
>> -- Jimmie Dale Gilmore
>
>
>That's really not a very good site. Every chili recipe there except one
>has tomato sauce in it. All the recipes had way too many ingredients.
>All the recipes were based on commercial chili powder and dried bouillon
>rather than dried peppers.
>
>Bob
Let me atone:
This is a variation on Dallas County Jailhouse chili that I post
around here now and again:
-2 lbs chopped beef
-1 lb chopped pork (note: you can use ground meat, but the texture
will suffer. The meat will cook a long time, so cheap cuts are
preferred)
-5-6 Tblsp prepared chili powder (note: the use of 5 or so rehydrated
ancho chiles is a fine variation, and perhaps other dried red pods
would suit you better--New Mexico, cascabel,, etc. One trick to get
more and better flavor out of dried chiles is to toast them very
briefly in a hot oven or even over a gas flame, but take care not to
burn them even slightly--they'll turn very bitter. After they're
rehydrated, grind them up in the blender with some water or stock and
add them to the pot. The idea is to make the stew turn brick red
because of the chiles, not other red stuff like tomatoes or tomato
paste or catsup or whatnot.)
-2-3 Tblsp paprika, as desired to redden the mix, and of course to
flavor it, too.
-1 Tblsp cumin seeds (aka cominos)
-1 Tblsp dried Mexican oregano
-6-8 garlic cloves, minced
-salt, as needed (note much chili powder has much salt in it already,
which is a good argument for using chile pods instead of the blend.)
-Sugar, as needed to cut any bitterness the chiles might land onto
your dish. (Note: Often the water from rehydrating dried chiles will
be bitter. Taste it and discard it if it is. Otherwise, use it in
the cooking.)
-Enough beef stock (watch the salt again if it's canned) or water to
cover the meat.
-About 2 Tblsp dry masa harina mixed with enough cold water to make
it a pourable but thick fluid for thickening the chili. If masa is not
available where you are, corn meal can be substituted. Masa tastes
better, however.
-Cayenne can be added to make the chili more picante, if desired.
Chipotle chiles also would warm up the picante factor as well as add a
tasty smoke flavor to the chile.
(Final note: all measurments above are very approximate, but don't be
chicken about spicing your chili)
Brown the meat in a large pot, but don't cook it too long or too
brown. If there's a lot of fat in the pot when the meat is pretty
well done, drain it off as you are able. Add the spices except the
salt and the sugar (are they spices?) and cover the meat with stock or
water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and slowly
simmer for about 3-4 hours. Check it now and again to make sure it
doesn't dry out, adding liquid as necessary.
When the meat is tender, taste the liquid and adjust the spices as
needed. This is the time to add salt and sugar if you feel they are
necessary. When you are satisfied with the taste, make a slurry of the
masa and cold water and add to the pot, stirring constantly to prevent
lumping. Cook it another fifteen minutes or so till it thickens
somewhat.
Serve the beans on the side, so people can add them as they like to
their individual bowls of chili. Red kidney beans cooked in stock
with some cumin and garlic and seasoning meat might be right. In my
house it is usual to serve the chili with chopped onion and grated
cheese. Also warm corn tortillas would likely be well received.
You will notice that this chili is a meat dish. Any vegetables you
need will be a separate enterprise. A green salad with tomatoes and a
nice lime vinaigrette would seem apropriate, but that's just me.
Chili, by the way, makes better leftovers than anything else I know.
The flavor is much better the second day or even the third. I mention
this by way of suggesting that it can be made on a weekend when its
long cooking time might be less of a problem and then served on a
busier day.
modom
"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore