Chilli Con Carne - what vegetables do you include?

We're not fighting mexican vampires here :D

I do wonder about garlic sometimes. Is what I buy in the supermarket getting weaker, or have I developed a tolerance? Once upon a time a couple of cloves would be plenty in a Bolognese, curry or whatever. These days it's usually 4 good sized cloves and sometimes I'm still not sure that I put enough in.
 
I do wonder about garlic sometimes. Is what I buy in the supermarket getting weaker, or have I developed a tolerance? Once upon a time a couple of cloves would be plenty in a Bolognese, curry or whatever. These days it's usually 4 good sized cloves and sometimes I'm still not sure that I put enough in.

It's *****.. I grew garlic in my garden last year, the specific breed was 'picardi wight' ... and the difference is unbelivable... you have to hang them and/or dry/cure them a little bit when you harvest them...but they were so much more juicy and smelly..

Like seriously, if you chop up some home grown garlic you will stink for days unless you clean properly.

Conversley, supermarket garlic seems really weak ...if a recipie calles for 2 cloves, you have to put 2 whole bulbs in to even taste it.

It's really easy to grow aswell.
 
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I tried 1 tbsp of cocoa powder in with my chilli con carne today and I didn't like it. It really muted the tomato and everything else. Ingredients for reference (serves 6):

400g chopped tomatoes
565ml water
50g tomato paste
2 tsp chilli powder, cumin, and coriander
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
500g 5% lean mince beef
90g chorizo
Chicken stock cube
1 bay leaf
500g diced carrots
500g diced onions
240g rinsed red kidney beans
1.5 tsp sea salt
Pinch of black ground pepper
 
The coca powder seems bizzare...
And also the Chorizo is very salty so there's no point adding half a spoon of salt... That will make no difference what so ever.
Also 1 teaspoon of garlic is going to make no difference in favour.

Those garlic numbers are rookie numbers.
 
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It's *****.. I grew garlic in my garden last year, the specific breed was 'picardi wight' ... and the difference is unbelivable... you have to hang them and/or dry/cure them a little bit when you harvest them...but they were so much more juicy and smelly..

Like seriously, if you chop up some home grown garlic you will stink for days unless you clean properly.

Conversley, supermarket garlic seems really weak ...if a recipie calles for 2 cloves, you have to put 2 whole bulbs in to even taste it.

It's really easy to grow aswell.

Home grown garlic? Interesting. Might look into that.
 
I use this recipe, fantastic

yeah, this is a decent recipe.

Chili is basically a spiced beef stew. You don't need much apart from stewing beef and a nice variety of chilis
 
Home grown garlic? Interesting. Might look into that.

If you do, buy a specific type of bulb/s online or from garden center... Supermarket ones might not do aswell as they might not be a breed that does well in cold /damp etc.

Picardi wight is a good one as it does well in shade and damp soil.
 
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Steak mince, haricot beans instead of kidney beans, mushrooms, celery, onion, tomatoes and a teaspoon of bovril with one pack of chilli con carne powdered flavouring made up in some cold water.
 
Top tip: Use fresh garlic.

Also, rather than putting the whole tube in, try squeezing out the purée and putting the empty tube in the recycling.
It is fresh, they're the refrigerated ones and the mrs prefers them.

Why recycle it when I can eat the tube, molten plastic yum.
 
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