Cooking with Platypus - Winter Warmer Series 1: Chilli

I could have sworn D.P. posted a classic recipe which contained neither chilli powder nor tomato.

However I'm either imagining it, failing in searching for it or, er, both.
 
Got this recipe from the Pistonheads forum, best chilli I've had

Jailhouse Chili

2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 tbs olive oil
3 tbs chili powder
5 red jalapeños, finely chopped
1kg minced beef, 20% fat
500g stewing steak, cubed
6 rashers streaky bacon, diced and fried
2 tbs ground cumin
2 tbs oregano
1 tbs cayenne
1 tbs turmeric
500ml dark beer
500ml beef stock
3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tsp garlic salt


In a large frying pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. After a few minutes add half the chili powder and half the diced jalapeños. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to a large casserole, leaving the oil in the pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine mince, chuck steak, fried bacon, the rest of the jalapeños and half the cumin, oregano, cayenne and turmeric. Mix well.

Brown the meat in 3 or 4 large clumps in the onion pan until brown on the outside. Don't worry about it not being cooked in the middle. Add this to the casserole.

Add the tomatoes, beef stock, half the beer and the second half of the cumin, oregano, cayenne and turmeric to the casserole.

Simmer on a very low heat for 1 hour.

Add second half of chili powder, the garlic salt and the rest of the beer. Simmer on a very low heat for another hour (or more) until the beef is cooked.

Serves 6 - 8.
Click to expand...
 
I'll weigh into the mince discussion, for Chilli I try to use stewing or braising steak. If I am using mince I don't use low fat, I find the flavour isn't as good. The only situation I use lean mice is when doing something like burgers.

Also I always add some cocoa powder, since seeing Anthony Wirral Thomson doing it on TV. Although he was making his chilli with venison.
 
Glaucus said:
Slightly off topic, but does anyone have an "orginal" recipe. As far as I understand it came from ranchers carrying dried meat they then fried with spices, didnt contain tomatoes. Would love to give it a try, such a different dish from the modern version. But sounds interesting.
Click to expand...

You need to search for Texas Chilli or Red Chilli for example

http://www.texaschilispice.com/renored.html

For normal Chilli I sometimes use mince, I also make it with sausages but when I have the time I make mine from Pork Shoulder that has been smoked for 8-10hours then another 2-3 hours in making the Chilli, bulk it out with beans (usually pinto and kidney) I use the hillbilly spice mix rather than my own, as the other half got me some as a present and it is very nice. Uses chipotle, ancho chilli, cocoa, cumin and oak-smoked sea salt.

All varieties are good.
 
Capt Doufos said:
You need to search for Texas Chilli or Red Chilli for example

http://www.texaschilispice.com/renored.html

For normal Chilli I sometimes use mince, I also make it with sausages but when I have the time I make mine from Pork Shoulder that has been smoked for 8-10hours then another 2-3 hours in making the Chilli, bulk it out with beans (usually pinto and kidney) I use the hillbilly spice mix rather than my own, as the other half got me some as a present and it is very nice. Uses chipotle, ancho chilli, cocoa, cumin and oak-smoked sea salt.

All varieties are good.
Click to expand...



I like the look of that one
8 heaped tablespoons of powder and chillies on top.
Will give that one ago for sure, still would like to find one using the dried beef.
 
Last edited:
Almost the same as my recipe except I don't use chocolate. I also don't use bird's eye chili but cayenne pepper instead because I'm too tight to buy this stuff my chili is really cheap. Will give your recipe a go though soon look's delicious!

Sound's good without the tomatoes too will bookmark that Reno Red recipe. :D
 
Last edited:
glitch said:
Sounds rather tasty - I'll have to pick some up and see what can be done with them.

Taste-wise, would you say they are quite wheaty or is a more a subtle flavour?
Click to expand...

If eaten en masse like rice, they have a lovely nutty flavour, when used to bulk out stews they absorb that flavour and become more of a texture thing.
 
Very similar to the recipe I use here, it's such a great meal as it's cheap, healthy and easy to cook. One batch gives 2 extra portions to eat later in the week :)

One thing I find though is that it comes out a bit too watery. To counter this I've tried cooking it for longer which helps dry it out a little but seems to have an adverse effect on the taste. Anyone have any suggestions to improve it?
 
One thing worth remembering, i have found chilli benefits the same as ragù from being left overnight and reheated he following day, flavor becomes so much more.
 
Kanifee said:
One thing worth remembering, i have found chilli benefits the same as ragù from being left overnight and reheated he following day, flavor becomes so much more.
Click to expand...

Q. F. T.

I actually first looked at a number of different recipes and then refined my own one from them.

Not strictly Tex Mex, I know, but Star Anise adds so much to the flavour of the chilli. I also think that sweet smoked paprika and jabanero are the only things that make it just right (other than the usual ingredients).
 
Voltar said:
Not strictly Tex Mex, I know, but Star Anise adds so much to the flavour of the chilli. I also think that sweet smoked paprika
Click to expand...

I all ways add smoked paprika, adds a nice subtle flavor, i make large batches and leave over night then freeze, i use 3 dried Naga Bhut Jolokia (ghost chilli) blended in a small blender, they give it a nice punch while still leaving there flavor imparted instead of just raw blinding heat.

Tip, be careful when blending dry chilli, the first time i did this i did not think it through and my less than air tight blender basically turned itself into an omnidirectional pepper spray... i choked and watered from every oriphous on my face for about 10 minutes :o:D
 
lol that's got to suck and hurt...

Not tried Nagas yet. Can I buy them from shops or do you grow yours at home (I'm keen to give it a go myself).

Jabanero's definitely still my fave (I buy it pre-milled so don't have to worry about the pepper blaster :p)
 
A friend grabbed a pack of 12 dried ghost chilli from an online shop with the hopes we would eat them when drunk and he could film.
needles to say this didn't happen so i kept them for cooking, very cheep as well something like £2.50.

I want to get some fresh so im going to find a local place to buy as i would like to see there freshness before i purchase, cant always trust online retailers to have the freshest stock, i imagine fresh chili will offer a fresher flavor.

my slow cooker is 3 liter so 1 ghost chilli for every liter works well for me but i like it hot.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom