Tuesday Favorites….Chili

[Blonde Gator]

It’s chili weather in KY! What’s your secret recipe in your chili?

I make mine the standard way with the kidney beans, rotel tomatoes and ground beef. Nothing special there but I also put it on top of pasta and top it off with sour cream and cheddar cheese. My understanding is that pasta is a Cincinnati thing.

What’s your favorite chili recipe?

My "super secret flavor weapon" for chili (red or green w/chicken) or enchiladas or many other things is two medium onions, sliced very thin, and caramelized slowly in a large pan (add a big pinch of salt at the beginning) until they are just about 1/2 cup of brown goo. Remove from the pan and add it back to your chili or whatnot very near the end of your recipe. It adds a rich umami flavor that everyone loves but cannot figure out. If you like regular onions in your chili, add those TOO, not instead of.

 

[AlexDaGator]

OK, I'll get in the spirit and give you a couple of real restaurant secret ingredients. Chicken or beef base and unflavored gelatin. These are common secret ingredients in many savory dishes.

Chicken and beef base are like bullion but a paste, and packed with flavor. Restaurants buy them by tub. You can usually find a brand called "Better Than Bullion" in most grocery stores. Base is added to all kinds of things, especially soups and sauces. It's like a flavor bomb. Just wait to add salt until AFTER you've added the base (base can be very salty).

Unflavored gelatin (just half a packet or a full packet if you're making a huge batch, you don't want to make chili jello) adds richness and body. Gelatin is added to soups and stews, gravies and sauces (not too much), shepherd's pie filling, pot roast drippings, etc.

That amazing pot pie or chicken and dumplings at that restaurant you love so much, the one that's even better than your Momma's? That's because of chicken base and gelatin. Why does your homemade chicken noodle soup taste watery but the restaurant's is freakin' awesome? Chicken base and unflavored gelatin (and acid, soups need a shot of lemon juice or vinegar at the end, might sound weird, but it's 100% true).

Other chili secret ingredients (if you aren't a purist): chocolate or coffee in small amounts.


Alex.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

my wife makes something called "texas chilli" every fall. its spicy, has chunks of steak, and is delicious.

 

[CDGator]

My "super secret flavor weapon" for chili (red or green w/chicken) or enchiladas or many other things is two medium onions, sliced very thin, and caramelized slowly in a large pan (add a big pinch of salt at the beginning) until they are just about 1/2 cup of brown goo. Remove from the pan and add it back to your chili or whatnot very near the end of your recipe. It adds a rich umami flavor that everyone loves but cannot figure out. If you like regular onions in your chili, add those TOO, not instead of.

Hey Blonde! Good to see you.

 

[CDGator]

OK, I'll get in the spirit and give you a couple of real restaurant secret ingredients. Chicken or beef base and unflavored gelatin. These are common secret ingredients in many savory dishes.

Chicken and beef base are like bullion but a paste, and packed with flavor. Restaurants buy them by tub. You can usually find a brand called "Better Than Bullion" in most grocery stores. Base is added to all kinds of things, especially soups and sauces. It's like a flavor bomb. Just wait to add salt until AFTER you've added the base (base can be very salty).

Unflavored gelatin (just half a packet or a full packet if you're making a huge batch, you don't want to make chili jello) adds richness and body. Gelatin is added to soups and stews, gravies and sauces (not too much), shepherd's pie filling, pot roast drippings, etc.

That amazing pot pie or chicken and dumplings at that restaurant you love so much, the one that's even better than your Momma's? That's because of chicken base and gelatin. Why does your homemade chicken noodle soup taste watery but the restaurant's is freakin' awesome? Chicken base and unflavored gelatin (and acid, soups need a shot of lemon juice or vinegar at the end, might sound weird, but it's 100% true).

Other chili secret ingredients (if you aren't a purist): chocolate or coffee in small amounts.


Alex.

You finally speak the truth! I use the beef or chicken Better Than Bouillon in so many recipes. I even add a dollop when I can my green beans. Costco has the large jars for about $6.

 

[AlexDaGator]

You finally speak the truth! I use the beef or chicken Better Than Bouillon in so many recipes. I even add a dollop when I can my green beans. Costco has the large jars for about $6.

Another restaurant secret ingredient--frozen juice concentrate. Yeah, the old school cardboard tubes, no kidding. Not the high end stuff with pulp either, the smooth kind.

Defrost it and refrigerate it and you can add a dollop of lemon or orange to a fish or chicken marinade (the sugar helps with browning too). You can add some to salad dressing or bbq sauce, use a little in your secret seafood dipping sauce, add a bit to a pan sauce, add orange concentrate to your cranberry sauce, add a bit of lemon concentrate to your fruit pie, etc.

You can bake a yellow cake and while it's still warm, dump a can of frozen lemon or orange concentrate on it and move it around until it soaks in evenly, then sprinkle with powdered sugar (it will form a bit of a crust) or frost it for delicious moist lemon or orange cake. You can't serve it right away, you have to give the cake time to absorb the syrup. OK, the whole can is for a restaurant sized cake. For your basic box of Pillsbury, Sara Lee, or Duncan Hines, maybe a third of a can. A little real zest added to the batter or to the frosting helps too, but it's the frozen concentrate that does it.

Alex.

 

[CDGator]

Another restaurant secret ingredient--frozen juice concentrate. Yeah, the old school cardboard tubes, no kidding. Not the high end stuff with pulp either, the smooth kind.

Defrost it and refrigerate it and you can add a dollop of lemon or orange to a fish or chicken marinade (the sugar helps with browning too). You can add some to salad dressing or bbq sauce, use a little in your secret seafood dipping sauce, add a bit to a pan sauce, add orange concentrate to your cranberry sauce, add a bit of lemon concentrate to your fruit pie, etc.

You can bake a yellow cake and while it's still warm, dump a can of frozen lemon or orange concentrate on it and move it around until it soaks in evenly, then sprinkle with powdered sugar (it will form a bit of a crust) or frost it for delicious moist lemon or orange cake. You can't serve it right away, you have to give the cake time to absorb the syrup. OK, the whole can is for a restaurant sized cake. For your basic box of Pillsbury, Sara Lee, or Duncan Hines, maybe a third of a can. A little real zest added to the batter or to the frosting helps too, but it's the frozen concentrate that does it.

Alex.

Martha Stewart, is that you?!?
I've never heard about that before. Tell me more...

 

[AlexDaGator]

Martha Stewart, is that you?!?
I've never heard about that before. Tell me more...

OK, last restaurant secret, this one isn’t as common and personally, I prefer the real thing buuuuut…

…butter flavored crisco tastes more like butter than butter.

There is a technical reason for using it too. Butter has some water in it. Crisco or butter-flavored margarine (shudders) don’t have water in them.

Water is bad in certain recipes.


But I still prefer real butter.

Alex.

 

[CDGator]

OK, last restaurant secret, this one isn’t as common and personally, I prefer the real thing buuuuut…

…butter flavored crisco tastes more like butter than butter.

There is a technical reason for using it too. Butter has some water in it. Crisco or butter-flavored margarine (shudders) don’t have water in them.

Water is bad in certain recipes.


But I still prefer real butter.

Alex.

My grandmother fried chicken in Crisco and she lived until 93. It must not be all bad.

 

[GR8 2B]

My dad used to say that, while he was growing up, my grandmother would fry water if she could.

 

[Blonde Gator]

Hey Blonde! Good to see you.

Likewise, CD. What've you been cooking lately (other than chili)?

 

[CDGator]

Likewise, CD. What've you been cooking lately (other than chili)?

Friday was the start of fall break for N8 so the kids had a big bonfire with friends. It was a perfect fall evening and the weather was just right. I made my famous burgers for them and had andouille sausage and hot dogs on the Blackstone as well. N8 drove the Tundra to back pasture with his friends in the back. You would have loved it!
Good times. Wish you were closer and could have joined us.

You making tamales anytime soon?

 

[-THE DUDE-]

Just a little bit of leftover smoked brisket is an incredible addition to your favorite chili recipe. Whenever I smoke a brisket, we always freeze a relatively small piece for this. Finely chop, and throw it right in.

I did that a couple years ago and it was so good. About to have a family chili comp and think I need to bring that back…brings such a great smoky flavor to it

 

[Fodderwing]

one large duck egg (with the shell on).

Alex.

Balut?

 

[Fodderwing]

Start with couple of pounds of ground Bambi mama or daddy seasoned with Tony's, black pepper and garlic salt, then browned and drained.
Add:
A decent size onion chopped
2 - 6 cans tomato sauce, depends on size of cans
2 - 6 cans of light and dark kidney beans, depends on size of cans
Add Chili powder to your taste, at least a teaspoon.

Need a bigger batch, add more meat, beans, tomato sauce and chili powder.

Simmer for a few hours.

Dish up a bowl full and top it with shredded cheese, eat with crackers, Frito's or Tostito's.