Chilli con carne recipe & questions

Stephen_Leak

CHILLI CON CARNE

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

2 onions
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
500g of minced meat
2 teaspoons of chilli powder
400g tin of plum tomatoes*
1 beef stock cube
400g tin of red kidney beans

METHOD

Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion. Fry the onion for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Put the meat into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. By this time, it should have broken up and be an even colour, with no pink bits. Add the chilli and cumin, and stir.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Pour the juice into the pan. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the pan).

Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan. Crumble the stock cube into the pan. Open the tin of beans and drain off the liquid. Add the beans to the pan. Mix thoroughly. Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils, until the sauce has reduced.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced beef, lamb, pork or turkey, whichever is cheapest.

Add 2 teaspoons of ground cumin. It seems odd adding an Asian spice to a New World dish, but the Spanish brought it with them.

Grate and add 2 squares of dark chocolate. Chocolate came from the New World, and was used as an everyday cooking ingredient.

TIPS

Let it cool and reheat it: the flavour improves with reheating.

* Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

PasturesNew

It's cheating, but I always pick up the tins of Chilli Beans, kidney beans in chilli sauce. These are about 39p at Lidl at the moment I think (they used to be 37p in Asda/Tesco too but seemed to shoot up in December).

That gives me a bit of a starting point and I lob in some chilli powder and a splash of hot chilli sauce if I've got any.

greenbee

I was taught to make chilli by a mexican friend, and don't really have a recipe (it depends what I've got lying around!), but I DO add a couple of squares of dark chocolate as I was told that this was vital!

Penelope_Penguin

staceydaisy wrote: »

Hi all a little help please

i regulary make a chilli i use

500 grams mince
1 tin toms
1 tin kidney beans
1 beans
and a colemans packet

im trying to get rid of the colemans packet but what do i do instead and also can i use a slow cooker for a chilli please

You've been given some great recipes, so I'll add this to the exisitng thread on chilli con carne to keep ideas together

Penny. x

maypole

greenbee wrote: »

I was taught to make chilli by a mexican friend, and don't really have a recipe (it depends what I've got lying around!), but I DO add a couple of squares of dark chocolate as I was told that this was vital!

I wonder what it does? like adding a pinch of salt to coffee

longdarkteatime

I have to say that both chilli-con-carnes and curries are both infinitely better after a 24 hour rest, and I vary rarely bung them in the fridge, just leave the pan covered overnight and you're off.

I was going to regale you with tales of packet mixes and jars of sauce, but I'm sure it's all been covered over the last 5 pages. All I will say is that if you find your chilli is all heat and no flavour, you can 'round it off' with a handful or two of grated cheddar; I use Tesco's full flavour white cheddar (for pretty much everything). Also pad it out with finely chopped mushrooms, and other fun things - celery?

But 'Day 2' curry and chilli is always several times better than it was the first time around. Tesco do a cheap Rioja called Vega Roja which used to be £3.49 but recently went up to £3.99 .. goes quite well with this or just about anything else if you like that kind of thing.

Oh - and a good home-made curry or chilli isn't cooked, it is brewed. Always simmer for longer than they reckon on the packet, jar or tin. Go back for a regular stir and of course, taste.

KerryGold

Hi all,

I've just had a text from a friend asking if they can come and stay tonight. I have figured that I have everything in to make a chilli.

However, I am particularly fond of Schwartz chilli packet mixes and I don't have one in and no time to get one (and I know yous don't approve!)

I always find when I make chilli from scratch without the packet spices, it lacks a little something and I don't know what it could be.

Could you tell me how much and which spices (or other secret ingredients) you add to chilli?

Thanks!
K x

Ayeshalush

Hi

When I make chilli I add 500g mince, 1 tin of tomatoes,1 green pepper,1 onion, 1 tin kidney beans and sometimes 1 small tin baked beans, a little beef stock , 2 tbsp tomato puree, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp worcerstershire sauce, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tbsp chilli powder, few drops tabasco sauce and 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds.

I don't measure anything so all measurements are very approximate!

HTH

Ali

sexki11en

You cannot do an authentic Chilli without cumin and corriander. Try this, I swear it will be the best chilli you have ever tasted

You will need:
Mince
1 Onion
Garlic (1-3 cloves depending on your preference)
a beef stock cube
Tomato Puree
2 tins tomatoes
Kidney beans (I also add a tin of mixed beans and have found it tastes fab as well as s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it out)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground corriander (the powder, not the leaves)
Fresh chilli's (again 1-5 depending on your taste and the heat)
a handful of Lentils if you want to stretch it further (from 500g mince, this recipe will usually make 6 large individual portions or 8 smaller ones)
Courgette (or other chopped veg eg peppers)

Fry off the onions and garlic in a little oil then add the mince and cook till browned off (you can drain the fat at this point if your trying to keep the calories down, but it does loose a little flavour)
At this point, if you don't like it too hot, add your chopped chilli's and fry them off - if you do like it hot - throw them in later.
Crumble in your stock cube, stir well and add a good few tablespoons of tomato puree. Chuck in your tomatos, washed kidney beans, mixed beans, courgette, chilli's, lentils (and anything else you were going to add) along with your cumin and corriander and stir well.
Leave to simmer for about half an hour (longer if you can as the flavour will really come out the longer you leave it)
If you have some, a sprinkle of cocoa powder will work wonders, as will a dash of worcester or soy sauce (or marmite if you have no worcester or soy sauce, small dash of red wine.

Enjoy! (and if you do try it and like it - please let me know lol)

SK x

KerryGold

So...

I used the GoodFood website ingredients and made it my usual way. I didn't have any chocolate or marjoram though, but will try this in future.

This recipe included chilli powder, coriander and cumin and I added oregano as per a suggestion on here.

It was definitely tastier! I think I will follow this recipe form now on and give up the packets!

Thanks all.

K x