Why don't I have a cooking icon?
Made a big pot of this yesterday, and thought I'd share the recipe, such as it is. :)
2 lbs very lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, 1/4" dice
1 red bell pepper, 1/4" dice
5 tomatillos, 1/2" chop
2 largish medium-heat banana peppers
2 large poblano peppers
2 large ancho chile peppers
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 cup pre-soaked, quick-cooking garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
1 can seasoned red chili beans (medium heat)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can V-8
2 large portabello caps, 1" chop
10-12 roma tomatoes, 1" chop
3-5 sundried tomato halves, finely diced
3 tbs chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1-1/2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup dark molasses
1-1/2 cups roasted corn
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Large-ish crock pot.
Turn oven to broil, with rack in middle.
Place all peppers -except the bells- along with the garlic cloves on a foil-covered cookie sheet and place under broiler (peppers should be whole). Use long metal tongs to turn, getting a nice brown/black skin on all sides. (The peppers can also be grilled. If you do, just saute the garlic cloves with the bell peppers. It'll be fine.) Allow to cool.
Brown ground beef, drain, transfer to crock pot. Using same skillet, saute both bell peppers and the tomatillos till softened and browning. Transfer to crock pot.
Place all beans -includng packing water/broth- tomatoes, mushrooms, juice, and spices into crock pot.
When peppers are cool enough to touch, use gloved or very well-oiled hands to carefully remove stems and scrape as many seeds from the inside as possible. Do not rinse! Chop randomly, about 1" pieces, and add to crock pot. Lightly smash garlic cloves and add as well.
Cover and cook on low for about two hours. Stir. Add molasses and roasted corn. Continue to cook on low overnight or approximately 6-8 more hours, adding more water/juice if needed. Stir in chopped cilantro just before serving.
Serve with sour cream, garlic bread, and wedges of smoked monterey jack cheese.
Recipe notes:
*All measurements are approximate. If you've read this post you'll already know I don't measure anything. This is intended to make a medium-heat chili, but you feel free to go crazy with the cayenne or substitute hotter peppers if it makes you wiggle.
*Can easily be made vegetarian by subbing soy crumbles or extra portabello mushrooms.
*Notice there are no onions. I hate onions, and very rarely cook anything with them. If you like them, add them to the skillet with the peppers and tomatillos and you're set.
*If you can't find fresh poblanos or anchos where you live, you can certainly substitute dry ones. Just crumble them and separate the pieces, discarding the seeds. The peppers will rehydrate just fine in the crock pot.
*My grandmother taught me the "oily hands" trick for keeping the hot pepper oils from getting into your skin. Just be careful with the knife!
*The V-8 was a desperate substitution one time when I just didn't have enough tomatoes on hand to get the flavor right. I ended up liking it enough to plan it that way from now on. You can certainly use tomato juice instead.
*Re: roasted corn: don't leave this out! The sweetness of the corn is an awesome counterpart to all the roasted heat in the chili. I've roasted ears of corn on the grill, broiled canned corn in the oven, and purchased frozen roasted sweet corn (Trader Joe's is great!) and I think the frozen was actually best.
Enjoy, and please to be dropping off any cooking/foodie icons you're willing to share. XoXoXo
2 lbs very lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, 1/4" dice
1 red bell pepper, 1/4" dice
5 tomatillos, 1/2" chop
2 largish medium-heat banana peppers
2 large poblano peppers
2 large ancho chile peppers
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 cup pre-soaked, quick-cooking garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
1 can seasoned red chili beans (medium heat)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can V-8
2 large portabello caps, 1" chop
10-12 roma tomatoes, 1" chop
3-5 sundried tomato halves, finely diced
3 tbs chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1-1/2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup dark molasses
1-1/2 cups roasted corn
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Large-ish crock pot.
Turn oven to broil, with rack in middle.
Place all peppers -except the bells- along with the garlic cloves on a foil-covered cookie sheet and place under broiler (peppers should be whole). Use long metal tongs to turn, getting a nice brown/black skin on all sides. (The peppers can also be grilled. If you do, just saute the garlic cloves with the bell peppers. It'll be fine.) Allow to cool.
Brown ground beef, drain, transfer to crock pot. Using same skillet, saute both bell peppers and the tomatillos till softened and browning. Transfer to crock pot.
Place all beans -includng packing water/broth- tomatoes, mushrooms, juice, and spices into crock pot.
When peppers are cool enough to touch, use gloved or very well-oiled hands to carefully remove stems and scrape as many seeds from the inside as possible. Do not rinse! Chop randomly, about 1" pieces, and add to crock pot. Lightly smash garlic cloves and add as well.
Cover and cook on low for about two hours. Stir. Add molasses and roasted corn. Continue to cook on low overnight or approximately 6-8 more hours, adding more water/juice if needed. Stir in chopped cilantro just before serving.
Serve with sour cream, garlic bread, and wedges of smoked monterey jack cheese.
Recipe notes:
*All measurements are approximate. If you've read this post you'll already know I don't measure anything. This is intended to make a medium-heat chili, but you feel free to go crazy with the cayenne or substitute hotter peppers if it makes you wiggle.
*Can easily be made vegetarian by subbing soy crumbles or extra portabello mushrooms.
*Notice there are no onions. I hate onions, and very rarely cook anything with them. If you like them, add them to the skillet with the peppers and tomatillos and you're set.
*If you can't find fresh poblanos or anchos where you live, you can certainly substitute dry ones. Just crumble them and separate the pieces, discarding the seeds. The peppers will rehydrate just fine in the crock pot.
*My grandmother taught me the "oily hands" trick for keeping the hot pepper oils from getting into your skin. Just be careful with the knife!
*The V-8 was a desperate substitution one time when I just didn't have enough tomatoes on hand to get the flavor right. I ended up liking it enough to plan it that way from now on. You can certainly use tomato juice instead.
*Re: roasted corn: don't leave this out! The sweetness of the corn is an awesome counterpart to all the roasted heat in the chili. I've roasted ears of corn on the grill, broiled canned corn in the oven, and purchased frozen roasted sweet corn (Trader Joe's is great!) and I think the frozen was actually best.
Enjoy, and please to be dropping off any cooking/foodie icons you're willing to share. XoXoXo