[Recipe Redo] Chili Con Carne
In making chili con carne this week, I took a look at the recipe I posted when I was just three months into writing This American Bite. I read the recipe and I realized how much I have grown as a food writer and a cook. Beside for the fact that the original recipe is long and the photograph is terrible, we have cut some of the ingredients from our diet which highlighted to me how our diet has changed as we learn more about the food we eat.
I stand by my previous statement that my mother makes a wonderful chili con carne. The family secret is still the cocoa powder to tie the dish together, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t revisit this recipe. I took a closer look at the ingredients and cut the list a little. I also cut the tomatoes completely and I love the flavor that comes from the balsamic.
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup red kidney beans (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- Heat some olive oil in the bottom of a pot.
- Dice the onion, add to the pot.
- Clean and dice the celery and add to the pot.
- Add the mushrooms, chickpeas and red kidney beans.
- Season with the spices. Mix so the spices cover the veggies.
- Add the ground beef, breaking with a wooden spoon.
- Cover to cook and allow it to simmer for an hour.
- Once the chili has cooked, add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar, stir and set in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to serve, warm on a low heat.
This chili scales up for a big crowd, and you can cook or reheat it in a slow cooker if you prefer. It’s a real crowd pleaser and you can serve it on a bed of rice, with baked potatoes or over my lamb stock grilled polenta.
Photo: CC Cyclone Bill.
