Chili

It's January. It's cold. Therefore, this is perfect to make. After all, isn't winter always chili? *rimshot* Okay, bad puns aside, chili is one of those great flexible foods. Eat it with crackers, cheese, onions, jalapenos, baked potatoes, chips, French fries, rice, bread, tacos, burgers, hot dogs....the possibilities are endless.

One of the favorite things my friends and I do is have a chili gathering. I make a huge pot of chili, and everyone brings something that goes with chili. Everyone mixes and matches as they see fit. We've have some interesting concoctions in the past...I believe the most creative was a jumble of tater tots, French bread chunks, Fritos and sliced hot dogs smothered in chili, and covered with cheese, onions and jalapenos. Lovely with a side of beer.

For the record, this recipe makes a pretty good-sized pot of chili. I don't see the need for making a small batch...in my house, it disappears quickly. Also, leftover chili freezes beautifully.

Ingredients:

4 lbs ground meat. Chili is a hodgepodge...use whatever you want, any combination you want. Pork, lamb, ground turkey, etc. Beef is not required. The most popular chili at my house is made of a 50/50 mixture of venison and pork.
2 tblsp. oil.
1 large onion, diced.
1 stalk celery, minced.
6 cloves of garlic, minced.
1 medium-sized jar of salsa. I believe they're 16 ounces? It doesn't matter if the salsa is medium, hot or mild, just go according to your personal taste and heat tolerance. If you like your chili with a bigger tomato flavor, feel free to add more salsa.
1 can tomato sauce.
Juice of 1 lime.
1-2 bottles of beer. Nothing fancy or extra stout, just plain old beer.
1 shot of tequila (optional).
5 tblsp. chili powder.
salt and pepper, to taste.
1/2 tsp. cumin seed.
2 bay leaves.
1 tsp. thyme.
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped.
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped/pureed. (optional) You can use one of those small food processors or a blender.
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. masa harina, for thickener. You can substitute corn starch or flour, but masa is what really gives chili its signature flavor. You can find masa in the grocery store, usually next to the the flour and cornmeal.

Put the oil in a large 6-8 quart pot and put it on medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add your ground meat and a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is well-browned. It doesn't have to be completely cooked through, just browned on the outside. Drain in a colander to get rid of the excess grease.

For the next part, you can either return your chili mixture to the pot or put it in a crock pot. Put the meat back into your desired cooking vessel. Add the salsa, tomato sauce, lime juice, tequila,
bay leaves, thyme, cumin, chili powder and some more salt and pepper (if desired). Next is the beer. The amount of beer you put in is up to you. I use two because I like a sauce-y chili, but if you prefer your chili drier, you could use only one.

If you're using the stove, simmer the mixture for about 1 1/2-2 hours over low heat. I find it takes about 3 hours in a crock pot on high, 5 hours on low. But if you're using a crock pot, don't panic about the time too much. Chili is very forgiving, and it won't suffer if you leave it for an extra hour or so.

At this point, taste the chili for seasoning. You may like it just the way it is. I, however, prefer my chili spicy. This is where the chipotle peppers come in. Aside from adding heat, they will also give a nice smokiness to the chili. Don't add the entire can right off the back! Chipotle peppers are pretty spicy. Instead, add a spoonful of the mixture at a time, stir, taste, and decide if you need to add more. If you don't have chipotle peppers, you can also use cayenne pepper.

Mix the masa with the water until it is completely blended. Add the masa mixture to the chili and stir well. If you're using a crock pot, you want to simmer it for another 30 minutes. On a stovetop, it will take maybe another 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro and stir well. Serve the chili while its nice and hot.