tikichris

Autumn is here and there’s a chill in the air. That means it’s a great time to cook some chilli on the hob! Here’s my recipe for chilli con carne – or non carne if you prefer the vegetarian option and even some tips for making a chilli Quorn carne if you’d like to go veggie but still get some meaty flavour and good dose of healthy protein.

I’m been working on this recipe for years now. It keeps getting better. As much as I like to frame making my chilli con carne as a special treat I’m making for whomever is going to dine with me, the fact is cooking it is a totally selfish act allowing me a chance to eat something I crave.

I must warn you: there’s some real heat to this recipe, especially if you have it a day after preparing it. Tone down or rev up as you see fit.

CHILLI CON CARNE Yum

Ingredients (for ten to 12 bowls)

• 250g pre-soaked kidney beans (dried beans are best but drained from a can is a decent alternative);
• 250g pre-soaked pinto beans (dried beans are best but drained from a can is a decent alternative);
• 1200g of chopped tomatoes (3x400g cans);
• 2 boiled, peeled and chopped sweet potatoes;
• 2 grated carrots;
• 1 finely diced red apple;
• 1 chopped white onion;
• 2 chopped shallots;
• 2 chopped bell peppers;
• 4 minced cloves of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar (I like cider vinegar for this recipe);
• 3 limes;
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup;
• 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder (I like Grenada Chocolate Company’s Pure Organic Cocoa Powder) or 50g dark chocolate (100% if you can get it – the more cocoa and less sugar the better);
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• 4 tablespoons sea salt;
• 2 tablespoons of chilli powder;
• 2 tablespoons of ground cumin;
• 2 tablespoons of ground coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon of paprika (I like the bittersweet “agridulce” smoked variety – especially for this recipe);
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne;
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon;
• 1 teaspoon of white pepper;
• Leaves from 1 sprig of thyme;
• Leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh oregano;
• 60g chopped fresh coriander;
• 100g of smoked cheese (I like to use half Gouda and half Applewood smoked Cheddar);
• 330ml lager (I suggest something along the lines of Corona);
• Dash of whisk(e)y (I suggest Bourbon – nothing too fancy though);
• 1 bay leaf;
• 2 dry chipotle chillies;
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste;
• 30g of freshly diced chives; and
• 200g of sour cream.

Make it Meaty

• 400g lean mince;
• 1 chopped chorizo sausage with the skin removed (the kind for cooking not a dried one); and
• 4 strips streaky bacon finely diced (I like maple cured).

For an even meatier experience, consider adding other meats. I’ve added brisket, minced pork, chicken thighs and spareribs before to this recipe, and the results were really yummy. Go wild.

For Chilli Quorn Carne

A great veggie to go veggie but up the savouriness of this recipe is to substitute 600g of Quorn mince for the meat along with a chopped up Quorn Frankfurter or two. Add an extra tablespoon of paprika, another tablespoon of maple and an extra shallot as well.

Method

These instructions are for the meaty version of my recipe. For the veggie or Quorn version simply subtract or substitute as required.

• While your sweet potatoes are boiling (they’ll be ready when you can easy stick a fork in them), add the beans, tomatoes, apple, onion, shallots, carrots, bell peppers and garlic to a bowl;
• Thoroughly mix;
• Pour in the vinegar, juice from one freshly squeezed lime, the maple syrup and the cocoa;
• Thorougly mix;
• Add 2 tablespoons of sea salt, chilli powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, white pepper, thyme and 30g of chopped fresh coriander to the bowl and mix thoroughly;
• Pour in the lager and the dash of whiskey and mix thoroughly;
• Add the cheese, chipotle chillies and the bay leaf and let sit;
• When the sweet potatoes are ready and cool enough to handle, peel and slice into chunks and place in the the bowl and give it all a good stir;
• In a large saucepan, brown the mince in vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of sea salt;
• Once browned add a few spoons of the liquor from your bowl to the saucepan so that it just covers the meat;
• Add the bacon and chorizo and give a good stir;
• Add the ingredients from the bowl and mix thoroughly;
• Bring to a boil and let everything cook at a low boil for about an hour;
• After simmering for 30 minutes it’s ready to eat, but I recommend letting it continue to cook at a low heat for 5 or 6 hours for best results. If you can make this the day before you plan to eat it, even better!
• Before serving add freshly ground black pepper to taste and gently stir into the chilli.

Serving

Garnish with freshly chopped chives, coriander and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a squirt from a wedge of lime. Serve alongside some cornbread, rice or tortillas or atop hot dogs or … do I really need to tell you how to enjoy a bowl of chilli con carne?

Read more tikichris recipes.