Balancing out spice in food (making chilli or what looks like it)

Callie22

This is a good basic recipe. I've been making a variation of this for years, playing around with the spices to get something really good. I also add things like coffee, bitter cocoa powder, smoked paprika, chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, all sorts of things to adapt the recipe and make it better. I've also tried it swapping the red wine for Mexican beer or lager, which is nice, and I also use other beans - a mix of kidney and black beans is nice.

edited to add: Oh, and I also add some extra veggies at the start - finely chopped celery and some peppers are great. This freezes really well so I tend to make a huge batch every so often and freeze it in portions. We eat it with rice, or cornbead, or on baked potatoes. We've even had it over corn chips which is really good if you add guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos, salsa etc.

Pollycat

Callie22 wrote: »

This is a good basic recipe. I've been making a variation of this for years, playing around with the spices to get something really good. I also add things like coffee, bitter cocoa powder, smoked paprika, chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, all sorts of things to adapt the recipe and make it better. I've also tried it swapping the red wine for Mexican beer or lager, which is nice, and I also use other beans - a mix of kidney and black beans is nice.

edited to add: Oh, and I also add some extra veggies at the start - finely chopped celery and some peppers are great. This freezes really well so I tend to make a huge batch every so often and freeze it in portions. We eat it with rice, or cornbead, or on baked potatoes. We've even had it over corn chips which is really good if you add guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos, salsa etc.

I think that recipe is a good start for the OP too.

I add Italian herbs (can't quite remember what's in it) and another mix called pandasia (which we buy from Crete) - that has chilli flakes in.

Callie22

Another thing I've just thought of If you don't mind getting a wee bit cheffy then toasting and grinding your own cumin seeds will make a HUGE difference to the flavour of your chilli. Cumin is one of the main spices that you use in chilli and the freshly roasted and ground stuff is a world away from the ready-ground stuff you get in supermarkets. It has a lovely deep, almost grassy flavour and it really kicks everything up a notch. I also forgot that I usually add some dried oregano to my chilli - if you can get hold of some Mexican stuff then that's lovely too.

Nicki

I agree with others that simmering for a long time is what adds richness to the flavour. I'm not a big fan of adding either coffee or chocolate to my chilli however.

To get the heat right I'd suggest you make a batch following a recipe to the letter. If the finished product is too mild, use some Tabasco sauce for heat when eating, and adjust the recipe next time you make it by adding more chilli. If too hot, add some yoghurt to cool and next time use less chilli. Over time you'll come up with a recipe which suits your own taste perfectly.

It's easiest to use chilli powder (and the same brand) for this, as fresh chillis vary a lot in strength.

RichardD1970

Feral_Moon wrote: »

I use minced beef, onion, garlic, tomato pur!e, chilli (fresh if I've got otherwise ground), ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, salt & pepper, red wine, beef stock, tinned tomatoes, 1/2 tsp sugar, a few squares dark (75%) chocolate and kidney beans.

That sounds about right to me, although I've never tried the chocolate bit :cool2:.

We bung it all in the slow cooker and leave for a good few hours.

Usually do enough to fill the slow cooker and portion it off for the freezer.

Feral_Moon

RichardD1970 wrote: »

That sounds about right to me, although I've never tried the chocolate bit :cool2:.

We bung it all in the slow cooker and leave for a good few hours.

Usually do enough to fill the slow cooker and portion it off for the freezer.

The chocolate really works, it adds a rich depth of flavour. It's one of those optional ingredients though and I only add it if I've got some in.

I didn't mention that when I fry off the onions, garlic and mince I add a tablespoon of flour to soak up the oil and thicken the sauce. The sugar balances the acidity of the tinned tomatoes. I wouldn't add it if using passata.

And long slow simmering is key to developing flavour. Even better if cooked the day before and re-heated.

maman

I almost never eat the chilli on the same day as I make it. It definitely improves with marinating. It even seems to get better after it's been frozen for a while.

Glad

l use this recipe from lemonsqueezy, only difference is that when l've added all ingredients l throw it in the slow cooker and leave overnight

http://thelemonsqueezy.com/recipe/chilli-con-carne/

Carrot007

Glad wrote: »

l use this recipe from lemonsqueezy, only difference is that when l've added all ingredients l throw it in the slow cooker and leave overnight

http://thelemonsqueezy.com/recipe/chilli-con-carne/

I'd disagree with the 5% fat mince though. I like around 10% in my chilli, it adds to the flavour.

And I often will have 50% beef mince and 50% whatever else I can find (pork,turkey,etc...)

Dustyblinds

A few weeks ago we did the hairy bikers chilli with chocolate, this uses diced beef as well as steak mince and is done in the oven. Ds wasn't keen but the oh and my dad loved it. We made enough to freeze and it tasted even better a week later when we defrosted it, had to add a half a tin of tomatoes though as it was a bit dry.