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Beef Chili Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:00:19 -0700

October is National Chili Month, and beef, with its unmistakably robust flavor, is the classic meat that's used in this dish. Aside from being an enduring crowd-pleaser, beef chili is also affordable to make, portable, and just as great-tasting the next day. The beginner recipe is a quick, effortless weeknight meal, while the expert recipe, developed by celebrity chef and southwestern specialist Bobby Flay, elevates chili to a gourmet level. To try both, read more.

Beginner Beef Chili
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pound ground beef sirloin
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
toppings, such as reduced-fat sour cream, sliced scallions, and baked tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Directions

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, chili powder, and cocoa powder. Cook, stirring, until mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes (with their juice) and beans. Bring to a boil over high; reduce to a simmer, and cook until chili is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Serves 6.

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Expert Beef Chili
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Beef and Black Bean Chili
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon pasilla chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bottle dark beer
5 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained and pureed
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Toasted Cumin Crema
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Avocado Relish
2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno or serrano chile, finely diced
Lime juice
Chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Make the toasted cumin crema: Place the cumin in a small saute pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in a small bowl. Stir in the crema and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle.
Make the avocado relish: Combine all avocado relish ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Make the beef and black bean chili: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat.
Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides.
Transfer the meat to a plate and remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.
Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ancho powder, pasilla powder, and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Add the beer and cook until completely reduced. Return the beef to the pot, add the chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotle puree, and honey, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the beans and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, and adjust seasonings.
Serve chili with a dollop of Toasted Cumin Crema and Avocado Relish.

Serves 6.

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Happy October!

partysugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:18:33 -0700

Think that Halloween is the only celebration that occurs in October? Well think again! In terms of food holidays, October is National Cookie Month - to celebrate, we will be featuring a new cookie recipe every day -National Caramel Month, and National Chili Month.

Besides pumpkin festivals October is home to oyster festivals, chowder fests, apple harvests, and even a Brussel sprouts festival. If you know of a fabulous food festival in your neighborhood please share the details with us below!

If you're all about Halloween, stay tuned we've got tons of tricks and treats up our sleeves. Until then, here is my favorite chili recipe. It takes awhile to make, but it's worth the time and effort. Get the recipe now, read more

Chili with Cornbread Topping
Modified from Emeril Lagasse and Nigella Lawson

For Chili:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
12 slices chopped bacon
Salt
Cayenne
2 pounds stew meat, cut into cubes
1-tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 cups crushed tomatoes
1/4-cup tomato paste
9 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons masa flour (if you cant find masa flour substitute reagular flour)
4 tablespoons water
2 can dark red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 bag tortilla chips
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream
1 small jar jalapenos
For cornbread topping
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups cornmeal
1/4-cup all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons honey
1/4-cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated Cheddar

In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, add the bacon and onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables start to wilt. Season with salt and cayenne.
Stir in the stew meat, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, and oregano.
Brown the meat for 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock.
Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Simmer the liquid; partially covered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is tender. Skim off the fat occasionally.
Mix the masa and water together. Slowly stir in the masa slurry, add the beans.
Reseason with salt and cayenne.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.
Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.
Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling.
Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath. Offer monterey jack, sour cream, tortilla chips, and jalapenos on the side to stir in if desired.

Serves 6-8.

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It's Popcorn Time!

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:30:33 -0700

October is National Popcorn Month, and there are so many reasons to celebrate. Every October, the kernel harvest signals another year of the air-popped pleasure. Popcorn is indeed one of America's all-time favorite snacks, with over 16 billion quarts consumed each year. That's more than 54 quarts per person! Here, nine popcorn recipes worth munching on.

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