Chili con carne

senior chef

senior chef

Senior Member
Very important to simmer the chili a long time to marinate the flavors.

2 TBSP bacon fat
3/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
1 cup of finely chopped onion
3 very large garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 ounces of tomato sauce
1 TBLSP chili powder
1 TBLSP paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
I beef boullion cube
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup of refried beans
2 cans of Pinto beans
fry ground beef and ground pork just until done. Don't over do it.
Add onions and garlic and simmer 10 minutes.
Add tomato sauce
Add all spices and boullion cube
Add 3 cups water
Add 3 cups water.
Simmer for 1 hr minimum.
Add refried beans.
Mix 1 TBLSP of corn starch to 1/4 cup of COLD water. Mix with your finger until corn starch is disolved. Add to chili.
Continue simmering until corn starch has thickened the chili.
Add 2 cans of pinto beans.
Simmer until beans are hot.

For those who prefer a spicier chili, add any of the chili peppers you prefer, BUT cook it longer.This gets better when refrigerated over night.
 

Last edited:
Oops. I made a slight mistake. I accidentally wrote "ADD 3 CUPS OF WATER...TWICE. Pls only use a total of 3 cups water.
 
Thanks! This will go in my file. It's too hot to cook that today!
But,
No one around here will grind pork. I've asked all the meat men.
Used to have my Grandmother's hand grinder attached to my kitchen table, but my cousin wanted it!
 

Gaer said:
Thanks! This will go in my file. It's too hot to cook that today!
But,
No one around here will grind pork. I've asked all the meat men.
Used to have my Grandmother's hand grinder attached to my kitchen table, but my cousin wanted it!
Click to expand...
If you happen to have a stand mixer, many of them have attachments that can accept a meat grinder.
KitchenAid stand mixers have grinder attachments that you can buy from Amazon. Prices vary but some are only $35 USD.
Also, the grinder can make various size sausages.
When I lived in the Philippines, I bought natural casings from local markets and ground my own pork and fat and then ran it through the sausage maker. Created my own Italian sausage.
 
Last edited:
I cook Chilli quite often, but to a much simpler recipe.

The basic recipe - it's only a guide and you can adjust quantities to suit......
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
Chopped tomatoes - tinned or fresh
diced beef - not minced.
paprika, cumin and oregano (this is sold a chilli seasoning - sometimes with cayenne)
fresh finely chopped chilli pepper - or cayenne to taste
tomato puree
water
salt as necessary
Tin of Red Kidney beans.

Soften the onion and pepper in a saucepan with a little oil.
add tomatoes, puree, chilli and seasonings
add beef and water as necessary
cook slowly till beef is tender - up to 2 hours
add kidney beans and heat .
 
Yours sounds good to but I would have to switch the beans to pinto beans, I don't care for kidney beans. Your beef, do you use a roast that you chop up to bite size peices or another cut?
 
Blessed, I buy a chunk of meat and dice it. I usually buy 'plate' or brisket - one that needs slower cooking. Of course, the name of the cut is often different in Scotland and I would sometimes buy whatever cut of meat that is on offer. May have to adjust the cooking time.

For meat pies, I buy shin (known as 'skink' here) and dice it.
 
Seems like work so I buy chili at the grocery. It's good but not very hot. I like a little heat but not too much. I tried some a few weeks ago but it doesn't taste right in the summer. It's more of a "sticks to your ribs" meal for me in fall and winter.
 
Chet said:
Seems like work so I buy chili at the grocery. It's good but not very hot. I like a little heat but not too much. I tried some a few weeks ago but it doesn't taste right in the summer. It's more of a "sticks to your ribs" meal for me in fall and winter.
Click to expand...
Yes, I suppose you might call it work, BUT for those of us who love cooking, it is more an act of creation than "work".
Nothing in this world come free. If we want quality, we must be willing to spend time in the kitchen.
 
senior chef said:
Yes, I suppose you might call it work, BUT for those of us who love cooking, it is more an act of creation than "work".
Nothing in this world come free. If we want quality, we must be willing to spend time in the kitchen.
Click to expand...
The trick to it is when you make something like this cook enough to can or freeze, you get to enjoy that hard work many, many times. I will also say this can be a summer meal, I call it a chili salad. Make a salad, add a cup or so of hot chili in the middle, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and mix, hot, cold, crunchy all in one bowl!
 
Gaer said:
Thanks! This will go in my file. It's too hot to cook that today!
But,
No one around here will grind pork. I've asked all the meat men.
Used to have my Grandmother's hand grinder attached to my kitchen table, but my cousin wanted it!
Click to expand...
You can always search the Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji adds for a used meat grinder, if you want to add one back into your kitchen. That and 2nd hand shops or yard sales will often have stuff like that too - and CHEAP as well ;)
 
I tried making chilli using pork, but I didn't like it as much. I occasionally make a vegetable chilli and use a mixture of beans instead of beef.
In the summer I have chilli along with bread and salad instead of rice.
 

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