Monday, April 30, 2012

"Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili." - Kit Carson: Frontiersman and Mountain Man


On Sunday, Eric decided that he was craving Barney's Beanery for their chili.  Unfortunately, we're not in LA and there isn't a Beanery or any place with red chili with no beans in Denver that we know of.  I figured I would use this opportunity to make chili since it's been a while and it's a pretty easy dinner since I put it in the crock pot.
All the dry: cayenne, salt, basil, worcestershire, cumin, bay leaves, ground mustard, paprika, pepper
I don't really measure any of these things, just go by taste. 
The veggies: yellow pepper, onion, fresh jalapeño, celery, garlic
I heated up some drizzled OO and added the garlic, allowing it to cook for about 1 minute.  Then, I added the 2 types of peppers and celery and let it cook about 2 minutes.  Added the onions and then cooked on medium for about 5 minutes, just to allow the flavors to escape and become fragrant.  Threw it in the crock pot with the red stuff.  

The red stuff 

 The protein: 1.5 lb 95% organic ground beef, 1 lb ground hot italian sausage
I cook the meat in the same pan as the veggies so some of the flavor carries through. I don't brown all the way through, only enough to cook out some fat, about halfway then throw it in the crock pot.  We don't put beans in our chili, which is why there is much meat. 

 Mix it all together in the slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.  

The final product! 
We topped ours with sour cream and pepper jack cheese.  I think of all the chili that I have made, this may be my favorite so far.  Even in 80 degree weather, this was super delicious!! I forget how much I love chili sometimes, especially in the land of green chili.  In the words of Eric..." redder is better" and it really is!! 

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