chingador
is Blowin Smoke!
3 hours of tennis this morning and I should be horizontal right now. Instead of that, I will pull together a big pot of my famous (to me at least) chili. Oh, that and I will down several beers and pump some tunes through the house.
I have been making chili for my entire adult life. I always thought I made a great chili. My wife doesn't agree, but what the hell does she know? I have been tinkering and improving my chili for a long time. The recipe I use today, in my opinion, is the best I have ever made or tasted.
A couple notes on chili. First off, chili is a personal thing. A Guy in Texas is going to have a totally different opinion of what chili should be compared to a guy in another part of the country. Same goes for a guy in Cincy, or a guy who loves his Chili sauce in Detroit. And let's not even get started on the beans, no beans angle. With that in mind, I am going to say this: When it comes to Chili, there is the right way to do it, the wrong way to do it, and the way I do it.
I want to take a quick side-step before I begin. Since this is the BBQ-Brethren, there are a lot of people that believe that using pre-smoked meat is the way to go. I strongly disagree with that. For starters, when I eat chili, the flavor profile I want is pure meat and spices. To me, that is chili. If you add smoked meat, you are making an entirely different dish. To me when I am hungry for chili, adding smoke just ruins it for me. Don't get me wrong, it is a tasty stew, but in my humble opinion, it is not chili. Besides that, I want to round out the flavors in the chili. Braising meat in chili allows all of the collegen to break down in the chili, which adds flavor. I don't want to waste that break down on the pit.
Okay, if you are still with me, let's begin. Like the guy said in the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the secret to Chili is the meat you use. I am not a cannibal, so instead of using human flesh, I will use the next best thing. I will use about 3.5lbs of brisket and 2 lbs or so of pork butt. Any beef or any pork will not work. Use brisket and butt. These are tough cuts of meat and the slow braising in liquid will add dimensions of flavor to your chili. Don't be lazy and use ground beef or pork. You have no idea what is in there. I like to cut my meat up into cubes of 1/4" or so. I will lubricate the meat with my liquid gold (garlic infused olive oil) and season liberally with Big Ron's chili mix (this is an excellent product by the way). Let this sit for at least 30 minutes to let the spices set into the meat.
I have been making chili for my entire adult life. I always thought I made a great chili. My wife doesn't agree, but what the hell does she know? I have been tinkering and improving my chili for a long time. The recipe I use today, in my opinion, is the best I have ever made or tasted.
A couple notes on chili. First off, chili is a personal thing. A Guy in Texas is going to have a totally different opinion of what chili should be compared to a guy in another part of the country. Same goes for a guy in Cincy, or a guy who loves his Chili sauce in Detroit. And let's not even get started on the beans, no beans angle. With that in mind, I am going to say this: When it comes to Chili, there is the right way to do it, the wrong way to do it, and the way I do it.
I want to take a quick side-step before I begin. Since this is the BBQ-Brethren, there are a lot of people that believe that using pre-smoked meat is the way to go. I strongly disagree with that. For starters, when I eat chili, the flavor profile I want is pure meat and spices. To me, that is chili. If you add smoked meat, you are making an entirely different dish. To me when I am hungry for chili, adding smoke just ruins it for me. Don't get me wrong, it is a tasty stew, but in my humble opinion, it is not chili. Besides that, I want to round out the flavors in the chili. Braising meat in chili allows all of the collegen to break down in the chili, which adds flavor. I don't want to waste that break down on the pit.
Okay, if you are still with me, let's begin. Like the guy said in the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the secret to Chili is the meat you use. I am not a cannibal, so instead of using human flesh, I will use the next best thing. I will use about 3.5lbs of brisket and 2 lbs or so of pork butt. Any beef or any pork will not work. Use brisket and butt. These are tough cuts of meat and the slow braising in liquid will add dimensions of flavor to your chili. Don't be lazy and use ground beef or pork. You have no idea what is in there. I like to cut my meat up into cubes of 1/4" or so. I will lubricate the meat with my liquid gold (garlic infused olive oil) and season liberally with Big Ron's chili mix (this is an excellent product by the way). Let this sit for at least 30 minutes to let the spices set into the meat.
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