Texas Red Chili

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, #108, Jan/Feb 2011, page 15

As noted below, I typically make the chili paste in a large batch and freeze it in individual sizes to use later.  You can do this step any time  and doing this saves me time when it comes to actually making the chili. 

There are also several ingredient substitutions or variances in amounts noted below that will help you tailor this chili to your tastes as far as heat and availability of ingredients go.

If you need information about any of the dried chiles mentioned in this recipe, this link is good and has pictures and descriptions of many dried chiles.

Ingredients:

Chili paste:
6 dried ancho chiles; stems and seeds removed, flesh torn into 1 inch pieces
2 dried New Mexico chiles; stems and seeds removed, flesh torn into 1 inch pieces
2-4 dried árbol chiles; stems and seeds removed, pods split*
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
½ - ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
salt

Chili:
salt
½ pound dried pinto beans (about 1 cup), rinsed & picked over (optional)**
2 medium onions, cut into ¾ - inch pieces
2-3 small jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed & discarded, flesh cut into ½ - inch pieces*
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes***
2 teaspoons molasses
3 ½ pounds blade stead, ¾ inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into ¾ - inch pieces****
1 bottle (12 ounce) beer*****

*For árbol and jalapeño chiles, use the lesser amount for less heat and the higher amount for more heat. 2 árbol and 2 jalapeño chiles provided good heat that even my kids could handle. Also, each árbol chile may be substituted with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper if the chiles are unavailable.

** Now, tradition holds that real “Texas Red” chili does not include beans. However, I like beans, so I do typically add them. But I have made this without the bean step and it was just fine. I have also added 1 can of each black and pinto beans (Ranch Style beans brand only if they are available to you) at the end of the cooking and that has worked as well.

***For a little more heat, 1 can of Ro*Tel tomatoes could be substituted for the regular diced tomatoes.

****Four pounds of chuck or chuck eye roast could be substituted for the blade steak. I used chuck roast and trimmed as much fat & gristle as possible and it turned out wonderful.

*****Of course, my preferred beer is Shiner Bock. But if you must use another beer because maybe you can’t get Shiner in your area of the country, well, I suppose that’s okay, too.

 

You will also need:

Food processor
12 – inch skillet
Dutch oven or stock pot that can transfer to oven

 

Method:

For the chili paste: I usually make a double or triple batch of the chili paste at one time and then freeze in individual serving containers to use later. This cuts down prep time a lot when you’re going to make the chili.

Place ancho and New Mexico chile pieces in 12 – inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently until flesh is fragrant (4 – 6 minutes) reducing heat if chiles begin to smoke. Transfer to bowl of food processor and cool. (Do not wash out skillet)

Add árbol chiles, cornmeal, Mexican oregano, cumin cocoa and ½ teaspoon salt to food processor with toasted ancho chiles. Process until finely ground (about 2 minutes). With processor running, very slowly add ½ - ¾ cup chicken broth until smooth paste forms (about 45 seconds), scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to a bowl or freeze in individual size bowls as desired. (Do not clean out food processor bowl.)

For the chili: If using beans, combine 3 tablespoons table salt, 4 quarts water and beans in large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.

Place onions in food processor and pulse until thoroughly chopped (about 4 1 – second pulses). Add jalapeños and pulse until the consistency of chunky salsa (about 4 1-second pulses) scraping down bowl as needed.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion/ jalapeño mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until moisture has evaporated and vegetables are softened (7 –9 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add chili paste, tomatoes and molasses. Stir until chili paste is thoroughly combined. Add 2 cups chicken broth and drained beans (if using); bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Preheat your oven to 300°F.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt. Add half of beef and cook until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes). Transfer meat to Dutch oven. Add ½ bottle beer to skillet, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits and bring to simmer. Transfer beer to Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining steak (oil, pat dry, salt, cook) and beer. Once all the meat and beer have been added, stir to combine and return to a simmer.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until meat and beans are fully tender (1 ½ - 2 hours). Let chili stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir well and season to taste with salt before serving.

Serve with shredded cheese, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro and chopped avocado as topping choices. Flour or corn tortillas also make for good dippers.

This chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Hungarian Smoked Beef Braise

From Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips (page 186)

You can see my blog post about this cook book here.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½ - inch pieces
3 medium onions, cut into half rounds*
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ - 4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (plus some extra) canola or vegetable oil
One 14-15 ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
Once 12 ounce bottle Guinness or dark ale**

* For the onions, I saw this “cut into half rounds” description a couple of times in the book. As near as I can tell, this means to cut the onion in half lengthwise and then slice (so that the layers of the onion make a rainbow type pattern when sliced).

** We don’t normally have Guinness beer in our house. But, being a good Texan, I do quite often have Shiner Bock. The Shiner Bock worked great in this recipe.

You will also need:

Large skillet
1 gallon sized zip top baggie
5-7 quart slow cooker

Method:

Arrange the potatoes, carrots, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper in the insert of the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Transfer the bacon to the slow-cooker insert and remove all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Heat the remaining fat in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, paprika, chiles, and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to soften ( 4-5 minutes).

Transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert. Put the flour and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in the zip top baggie. Put the meat in the flour, toss to coat and shake off any excess flour.

Heat the canola oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the meat a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to the slow-cooker insert. Deglaze the pan with the tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the tomatoes to the slow-cooker insert. Add the Guinness (SHINER) and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Skim off any fat from the top of the stew and serve the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker.

Four Berry Sorbet

Adapted from Alton Browns fresh fruit sorbet recipe

Nothing says summer like berries… and nothing says summer like ice cream.  Combine the two and you have a four berry sorbet that will knock your socks off.

The vodka is probably optional, but I think it lowers the freezing temperature and makes for a smoother sorbet.

Frozen unsweetened berries are an option for this recipe if fresh are not available.  Allow them to thaw a bit first, though.

 

Ingredients

6 oz raspberries
6 oz blueberries
6 oz blackberries
14 oz strawberries
8 ounces sugar
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
1/2-ounce vodka
Pinch kosher salt

 

You will also need:

Paper towels
Rimmed baking sheets
Food processor or blender
Ice cream freezer
Airtight  and freezer safe containers

 

Directions

Rinse all berries and allow to dry on paper towel lined rimmed baking sheets. Also stem and halve (or quarter) large strawberries. 

Puree the fruit in a food processor or blender along with the sugar, lemon juice, vodka and salt. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to press the puree through the strainer.

Pour into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture reaches at least 40 degrees F, 4 to 6 hours.

Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Remove into an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.

 

And the recipe in pictures….

Rinse berries and dry on a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet.

I put as many berries in as possible and then add in the lemon & lime juices plus the vodka and then top with as much sugar as will fit.  Pulse the blender several times then add the rest of the berries as they will fit.

As you can see, the completely blended berry mixture completely fills my blender.

Stir and press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and solids.

The strained puree.

This is my best friend in the summer time.  I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Allow your ice cream maker to do its thing until it becomes a nice and thick soft serve consistency.

The color is beautiful and the taste is even more amazing!

Insanely Cinnamon Muffins

Adapted from: Cook’s Country “Coffeecake Muffins” (http://www.cookscountry.com)

 

Makes 12 muffins.

Be sure to use muffin-tin liners for this recipe or the cinnamon filling will stick to the pan.

Ingredients:

Streusel

8 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

Muffin batter

2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
½ cup cinnamon chips

You will also need:

Muffin “tin” liners
1 Muffin “tin”
Food processor
1 medium – large mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber/silicone spatula
Small & medium spring loaded scoops (if available)

Method:

For the streusel:

Pulse 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in food processor until just combined. Place in a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator while mixing the muffin batter.

Do not wash food processor.

For the muffins:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tin with cooking spray and line with paper liners.

Whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until thoroughly combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand then transfer to a large bowl.

Pour egg mixture over the flour mixture; using rubber spatula, gently fold it in a few times. Add cinnamon chips and continue to fold together until just combined. The resulting batter will be very thick. Using a small spring-loaded scoop, place 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup and top with 1 tablespoon cinnamon filling. Using back of spoon (or fingers), press cinnamon filling lightly into batter, then top with remaining batter (using a heaping medium-sized spring loaded scoop). Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over batter.

Bake until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for 30 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack to cool.

Serve.

(The muffins will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

 

Look at that crumb top and he layers of cinnamon in these bad boys. 
Oh the YUM!

 

Nom-i-licious!

Shells & Cheese

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

1 pound medium shell whole grain macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons powdered mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Kosher salt to taste

Optional bread crumb topping:

6 ounces bread, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)

 

You will also need:

Food processor (if doing bread crumb topping)
Large pot or dutch oven
Broiler safe 9x13 dish

 

Method:

In a large pot with plenty of salted water boil shell macaroni until just past “al dente.” Drain and set aside.

Set same pot back over medium heat. Melt butter until foaming then add flour to make a roux. Cook for just a minute or so and add mustard and cayenne and whisk to combine well.

While continuing to whisk, gradually add milk; bring to a boil while whisking constantly. (It must reach a full boil to thicken, but you must keep whisking to keep it from scorching on the bottom or boiling over.) Reduce to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to a heavy cream consistency (about 5 minutes).

Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses and salt to taste. Add shells and stir to completely combine and thoroughly coat shells with cheese sauce.

If using the bread crumb topping:

Process bread and butter in food processor for 10-15 1 second pulses. Transfer shells and cheese to a broiler safe baking dish and evenly top with bread crumb topping. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3-5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

This is such an easy and yet delicious potato side dish.  Great to take to a pot-luck or to have with anything you might make at home.  Truth be told, I use a little less potatoes and the same amount of cheese… just because I like my potatoes extra cheesy.

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

 

You will also need:

Large stock pot
Baking dish (9x13 or equivalent)
Potato masher

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Prepare baking dish with butter if needed.

Place potatoes in large stock pot and cover by at least 1 inch with water and add salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and return to the same pot and mash well.

Mix in the milk and melted butter.  Mix in the grated mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.    Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl.  Sprinkle bread crumb and cheese mixture over the top of the mashed potatoes. 

Cover and chill for up to six hours ahead of time or go ahead and bake.

Bake at 400, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Green Bean Casserole

from Cook’s Illustrated Nov/Dec 2006, #83, pg. 9

Again… much too busy eating to take pictures. I’m sure you understand. :) I hope to update this post with pictures after Thanksgiving this year.

Make ahead tips included. Look for instructions in {brackets}.

Ingredients:

Topping:
4 slices white sandwich bread (torn into quarters)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups canned French fried onions

Beans/Sauce:
Table salt
2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and halved
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound white button mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean and broken into ½ inch pieces
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 can sliced water chestnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

You will also need:

Food processor
Large bowl filled with ice water
Dutch oven
Paper towel lined baking sheet
3 quart / 13x9 inch baking dish

Method:

For the topping: In food processor, pulse bread, butter, salt and pepper until it resembles coarse crumbs (ten 1-second pulses). Toss with French fried onions and set aside. {Store bread-crumb mixture in an air-tight container in the fridge and mix with onions just before cooking.}

For the beans/sauce: Preheat oven to 425° F. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. (While it is coming to a boil, you can be prepping your green beans, mushrooms and other ingredients.) Prepare your large bowl of ice water. Add 2 tablespoons salt and beans. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender (about 6 minutes). Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water (to stop cooking). Spread beans on the paper towel lined baking sheet to drain.

Add butter to now empty Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates (about 6 minutes). Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3 ½ cups, about 12 minutes. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chopped water chestnuts if desired (they lend a nice extra crunch that my husband's family likes).

{Allow sauce to cool. Mix the beans and cooled sauce in a covered baking dish and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.)

Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in even layer in baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. {Heat in 425° F oven for 10 minutes, then add topping and bake as directed for about 15 minutes.} Serve immediately.