Brrr . . . baby it’s cold outside!
Do not despair, NOA’s good friend Mike is here to warm us up, with a good home-style Chili!
Ummm . . . I can smell those spices simmering now!
Who is this Mike fellow you ask?
Mike is a chili cook-off guru (think World Championship Chili Cook-off and Terlingua). He was the Honorable Mention in an onion-chili contest sponsored by the National Onion Association last year and I thought it would be neat to share one of his recipes. When I asked him about the recipe, he was very gracious and said yes. He said yes! I’d say that’s better than a guy going to Jared’s Galleria of Jewelry and buying a diamond ring, don’t you think?
Mike tells me this recipe is “pretty much” what winning chili’s used to be made – before cooks started using powders instead of fresh veggies. Mike says, “I used this recipe for quite a while when I started cooking competitively in the 70’s….Hope the folks who follow your blog enjoy it!”
Well Mike, I can’t think of a better way to heat things up this time of year than with a steamy bowl of chili and with a name like “Scorpion Breath” I can’t wait to try it!
“SCORPION BREATH” Chili
Courtesy of The Right Rev. Dr. J. Mike Smith 3, PhC, Chili Clergy
This is a pretty good basic Texas-style chili recipe for those who enjoy the aromatic, sensual bliss of a real “Bowl of Red”!
Ingredients
2 pounds Mock Tender Beef or Chuck, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 LARGE ONION, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 Serrano peppers, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper (optional)
1 14oz can beef stock and 1 14oz can chicken stock
1 14oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Comino
1 tsp. Mexican Oregano
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 Envelope of “Sazon Goya” spice
1 tsp. bottled hot sauce (cayenne based)
1 tablespoon Masa (corn flour)
1 tsp. honey OR brown sugar
Directions
1. Brown meat in big Chili Pot, using a little bacon grease, lard, or beef suet (olive oil in a pinch!).
2. Remove meat and set aside. Add onion, garlic, peppers, one tablespoon chili powder, one tablespoon Cayenne pepper (optional) and sauté six minutes or until soft.
3. Add meat back to the pot. Add beef and chicken stock, tomato sauce, and spices except Sazon and hot sauce.
4. Cook on medium-high roll for 45 minutes with lid on, stirring as needed.
5. Turn off and let it “rest” for at least an hour with the lid on the chili pot.
6. Turn back on medium heat. Add Sazon and honey, stir in well.
7. Bring to slow boil and simmer one hour, then add the Masa. Stir in well.
8. Cook 10 minutes more and turn off heat. Leave lid on.
9. Let rest 15 minutes or more, then serve up the Chili!
You can garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, Mexican cheese, cilantro, chopped peppers, or chopped up ONIONS! Happy Eating!
A few words of wisdom from Mike:
Winter Time is probably the very most favorite time of year for eating good chili, but it has evolved into an “any day, any time” type of food. You can make it about as healthy as you want, too. By using extra lean cuts of meat, and some folks are even using turkey, you can cut back on the fat and calories.
Be sure to use real chunks of meat and NOT ground hamburger! Ground meat (hamburger) is what they use in Cincinnati style chili…..NOT TEXAS STYLE CHILI!
Make the chili your own by changing up the recipe to suit your family’s taste, but PLEASE …….NEVER, NEVER COOK BEANS with Chili!!
Beans are wonderful, and make a great side dish for Texas Chili, you can even add the beans to your Bowl of Chili, just don’t cook the beans with the chili. “The chemistry just don’t work ….”, said an old time ranch cook in West Texas about a hundred years ago…….And HE Was Right!
See Ya’ll Down The Trail!
