October Recipe Duck911
Hi all!
I have a lot of recipes I considered for the Oct recipe but fall is rolling into Colorado this weekend so some chili sounded about right!
Last winter, the wife and I went to Beaver Creek, Co with some friends in mid-winter. We enjoyed the hot tub in the snow, skied some, drank a lot
and generally, had a great time.
We planned one evening at a ranch out in the boonies, where they had a large feast, starlight sleigh rides, etc. It was a dude ranch family type atmosphere and the food was good.
But the Chili was
UNBELIEVABLE!I am not usually much of a chili fan but I swear I had 3 or 4 bowls of this stuff. I think what I liked about it was that it did not have slimy chinks of cooked tomatoes, beans, or anything else. It was a wholesome, think, beef chili. BEEF, and CHILI. And the beef was smokey, charred, tasty stuff, not ground beef.
I decided I needed to perfect their recipe (they claimed it has won many a chili cookoff). I have more or less nailed it, and it's really simple to make:
First, the real secret is to
grill the beef. I use london broil or top round, but the truth of the matter is, just about any steak works because it gets cooked down and tenderized in the chili. I made this with a tri-tip roast last spring and it was fantastic.
All measurements approximate, and to taste:
2-3 lbs seasoned grilled beef, cubed into 1/2" chunks
3 cans beef broth
1 diced white onion
3 to 4 crushed cloves fresh garlic (to taste)
5 T. (regular) Chili powder
2-3 T. Ancho Chili powder
1 t. smoked paprika (important to get the smoked paprika!)
1/2 t. (regular) paprika
2 t. cumino
1 1/2 t. oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
That's it! Add the beef and all ingredients and boil down until the desired thickness is reached. If the chili reduces before it's come together and the beef is tender, add a touch of water and continue to boil. I have also crock-potted this all day while at work and it worked well too.
Enjoy
