Lennies Chili Finally Written Down Recipes

THE BEST CHILI RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine ground beef and 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder.
• In a large pot, brown ground beef, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Drain any fat.
• Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45-60 minutes or until chili has reached desired thickness.
• Top with cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro or other favorite toppings.

HOMEMADE CHILI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, water, green chile peppers, chili powder, salt, cumin, and black pepper.
• Cook on Low until flavors combine, 4 to 6 hours.

LENNIE'S CHILI, FINALLY WRITTEN DOWN

Steps:

• First off, I have one thing to say about spices: I am not about to tell you how to season your chili; what you see here is what I do, but please adjust the spicing to suit your own tastes, whether you want to tone it down or spice it up.
• Also, for the past couple of years, I have been using Penzeys medium-hot chili powder; if there's a Penzeys store near you or you order over the Internet from them, I highly recommend that blend.
• To make the chili, you'll need a large heavy pot, like a Dutch oven.
• Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in the pot and add the onion; saute for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms; saute for a couple more minutes.
• Next, crumble the beef into the pot and stir well--the idea here is not to completely brown the beef, just take away the raw colour.
• While beef is cooking, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the chili powder; stir well.
• After the beef has lost the raw red colour, spoon out any fat should you feel you need to.
• Take one of the tins of drained tomatoes and dump into the pot, using a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes into chunks.
• Take the other tin of drained tomatoes and squeeze the tomatoes with your hand, to crush them; add these crushed tomatoes to the pot and combine well.
• Stir in the well-drained kidney beans.
• In a small bowl, using a fork or a small whisk, combine the brown sugar, flour and cocoa; set aside.
• In a large measuring cup, stir together the tomato sauce and tomato paste, then stir or whisk in the cocoa mixture; when combined, add this mixture to the pot and stir well.
• Now add the remaining 4 tbsp chili powder, oregano, cumin (if using, sometimes I leave it out), salt and pepper; stir well.
• Let mixture start to bubble furiously, then turn the heat way down; after it's simmered for about 15 minutes, taste it; add more spices if you wish.
• Let chili simmer, uncovered, for at least one hour, stirring occasionally (longer is better; best is to make it the day before you want it and let it simmer some more on the second day).
• If you find it is cooking down too much or getting too thick for your tastes (this is not a thin chili), add some water or, even better, beef broth; best is a slug of beer should you happen to have some (I often don't).
• Before serving, make sure you taste the chili and adjust the seasonings as required; I often find it needs more salt.
• I serve this with sour cream on the table and usually some chopped raw green onion and shredded cheddar, plus a side of cornbread or cornbread muffins.

THE BEST CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until just browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until coated and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cooked ground beef and any accumulated liquid, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the chili, partially covered, until the beef is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the beans and their liquid and simmer uncovered until the beans are softened and the chili is thickened, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top with sour cream, Cheddar and scallions. Serve with tortilla chips.

DOWN HOME CHILI

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed 6-quart pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until the meat is brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes, breaking up any clumps. Spoon off and discard the rendered fat.
• Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot along with their juices. Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, and stock; stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 50 to 55 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.