My favorite thing to do as of late is what I call the "Test Kitchen," its basically just trying out a new recipe. I like to change it up and have more people than my usual stale audience (my husband) bc that makes it more interesting, fun and also constructive bc each new person bring their individual pallet and experiences to the table and you never know what you are going to learn or what can be brought to your attention through their observations. One of my favorite people to cook w/ or for is my mother in law Jean Ann, she trained as a chef so she always has good suggestions (although if she hits me with them before my morning coffee and prozac i dont always want to hear it :P) and she is a food lover like me so she doesnt mind being a "Test Kitchen" guinea pig. She came over last week and there was freezing weather predicted I had just the recipe...
When I saw this recipe in f&w recently and had to try it...unfortunately I will have to file the results under "misadventure" this was the hottest chili I have ever had in my life! I actually didn't use all of the peppers the recipe called for bc I could not find the pasilla chiles that the recipe calls for so I can only imagine how hot it would have been if ALL of the chiles. After a few bites the chili was basically inedible, but the combination of rich unexpected flavors was so good I had to find a way to salvage some of the goodness, plus by this point I was really craving a bowl of chili, so the way I ended up making this failed experiment into a delicious meal was by making my own "go-to" chili recipe and adding the broth of the experimental chili to it. The result was spectacular, so despite the fact that I would probably not make the f&w recipe again it was a very valuable learning tool and here is what I learned:
- when seasoning meat, sometimes it is not necessary to add the heat. This recipe called for the meat to be seasoned w cinnamon, cumin and coriander this actually added a rich dimension to the chili as opposed to overwhelming it with distracting spices.
- unexpected ingredients like a strong cup of coffee or a snappy pale ale can add a great kick of flavor.
- be selective about your meat, sometimes it is best to go with a different meat than a recipe calls for based on your own personal preference. This recipe called for boneless short ribs, I personally would have preferred tenderloin or maybe a well marbled stew meat
- (or anything else, the short ribs sort of had the texture of shoe leather
- another reason, we can file this under "misadventure") but it is all a matter
- of preference.
- - my mother in law taught me this one, when your mouth is burning from spice the best remedy is to douse it in sugar it works quicker than anything I have ever tried.
so there you have it my chili review and the lessons I learned w/o the heartache :) hope it was helpful...and remember w cooking as in life it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it.
the f&w recipe
Jazz’s Go To Chili
1 lb. of lean ground beef or turkey
1 can of Rotels tomatoes
1 can of ranch style beans w/ jalapeno
1 cup of juice (clamato, or spicy V8) or broth*
1 ½ tbsp of corn starch
2 cloves of garlic pressed
Misc. spices: cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder
*In this instance I used the broth from the f&w chili, however these are the ingredients I would usually use.
1. Brown and season meat using spices suggested above or your own custom blend.
2. Transfer meat to pot for simmering, add all other ingredients except the cornstarch
3. After chili has simmered for 30 min- 1 hour add cornstarch to thicken. Add additional spices to taste.
4. Simmer for additional 30 mins, serve with fritos and shredded cheese.
