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Stark's Chili
This is a chili based on the assumption that classic,
Mexican chiles con carne is made, literally,
from chilis and meat, with little or none of that other
stuff. Having never been to Mexico, I recognize that
this may or may not be correct, but there you have it
and there you go.
The recipe is based on the further assumption that I
like Beans, and that my chili should, therefore, contain
a bunch of 'em, whether the Mexicans do it that way
or not.
The last assumption I'll mention is that I'm a purist,
who insists on using only dry beans. Nothing could be
further from the truth: I want my chili fast, so I use
only canned, pre-cooked beans. Here's what's in it:
1¼ lb. very lean, ground sirloin
½ lb. loose
sausage—whatever you have (but good Chorizo can't
be beat)
3 medium onions, peeled & chopped fine
2 green bell peppers, minced
5-10 Jalapeños—red or green—minced (Chipotlés
are good, too...)
2 - 5 Habaneros (depending on size and taste), minced
1 head garlic, peeled & minced
3 dog-food-sized cans Pinto Beans, drained
2 dog-food-sized cans Red Kidney Beans, drained
3 Italian Plum Tomatoes, cubed ¼"
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 Rounded Tablespoons Ground Cumin Seed
2 Heaping Tablespoons Dried Cilantro (Coriander Leaf)
1½ Tablespoons Dried Marjoram
1½ Tablespoons Dried Sage
1 Teaspoon Salt
Heat Olive Oil in a large, cast-iron vessel (stock pot
or Dutch oven).
Sautée Onions, Bell Peppers, Jalapeños and Habaneros,
until onions are clear.
Add Sausage. Sautée until brown, then cook, covered,
for 15 minutes.
Add Ground Sirloin. Sautée until brown, then add
Garlic. Cook for five minutes, turning and chopping
constantly. Be sure not to let the garlic turn
Brown.
Add Tomatoes, Cumin, Cilantro, Marjoram, Sage and
Salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
Add canned beans. Mix thoroughly, then cook, covered,
stirring every five minutes, until beans have disintegrated
to a paste (about 1-2 hours).
Correct seasoning, by adding liberal quantities of
garlic, cumin, salt and whatever hot sauce (except Tabasco®)
you may have. Tabasco® sauce tastes more like vinegar
than peppers, and shouldn't ever be used in my chili,
let alone Mexican food: use a good Salsa Chipotlé
instead. You can get one from Mo-Hotta,
Mo-Betta.
Serve in bowls over rice, or with Nabisco Premium®
Oyster Crackers.
Some folks will say you should never sautée in
extra virgin olive oil; that it goes rancid too easily
when heated. Some will also say that healthy, extra
virgin oil becomes really bad for you when it goes rancid.
They're all probably right, but the fact remains that
stuff tastes worlds better when you fry it in
extra virgin oil, and that's all I care about. Something's
going to kill me one of these days; it might as well
be something tasty.
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