By Jim Hingst
As
the weather gets colder, what could taste better than a hot bowl of chili,
especially when your favorite football team is playing on the TV? In this article I reveal an award-winning
recipe from an old sign maker in Detroit, who was known as and who looked like
Santa.
Over
the last 20 years, I have made his chili dozens of times. Admittedly, this dish
has changed a little to suit my tastes, but the basic ingredients and cooking
directions have remained the same.
This
sign maker’s chili not only tastes great, but it also consists of many
vegetables and spices that can help you improve your health.
The Best Vegetables for Chili.
Most people hate vegetables. Chili is a great way to
include vegetables in your diet. Popular chili vegetables include tomatoes,
green peppers and celery. Other options include carrots, sweet potatoes,
jalapeno peppers, celery, garlic and onions.
Many cuisines have a blend of three different vegetables,
called the Holy Trinity, which are used in many of their dishes. This assortment
of vegetables forms the cornerstone of many Latin American and Caribbean
recipes.
The combination varies from one culture to the next. The
mix that the French use consists of onions, carrots and celery. The Italians
call this combination their ‘sofrito’, which means to fry lightly. The Spanish Holy Trinity is comprised of
onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Among the Creoles and Cajuns of Louisiana,
their Holy Trinity consists of onions, bell peppers and celery.
As far as I am concerned, all of these vegetables are a
great addition to chili. Using these veggies is also a great way to clean out
your fridge. More importantly, they help boost the flavor of the dish and are
good for you. Here are some veggies that you might consider for your award-winning
chili.
Celery.
Rich in antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamins A, K and C,
celery also helps reduce inflammation.
Onions. Caramelized
onions will not only enhance the flavor of your chili, they are also rich in
vitamins C and B. What’s more, the chemical compounds in onions can help to
reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation, all of which benefits the
health of your heart. The addition of onions to your recipes may even slow the
growth of tumors.
Carrots. To
offset the heat of the peppers and spices, many cooks sweeten the pot with
brown sugar or ketchup. There nothing wrong with that! However, a much
healthier alternative is to add a naturally sweet vegetable, such as diced
carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
Peppers. Chili is supposed to be
spicy. To add some heat to your chili, add some chopped jalapeno peppers. Of
course, you can use milder peppers to your chili, such as poblano peppers. For
the adventurous, you can also use hotter chilis.
Tomatoes. Tomatoes are a
great source of vitamins B, C, E and K, potassium and other chemical compounds,
such as lycopene, which helps protect your skin from sun damage. Tomatoes are
also high in fiber, low in calories and add no fat to your diet.
Garlic.
The addition of garlic to your chili as
well as your diet in general can improve your heart health. Garlic not only
helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, but it can also help your blood
vessels.
Beans. For many chili aficionados, beans in chili are
verboten. I don’t care. While most beans do not have all of the essential
proteins that you need, they are an inexpensive source of low-fat protein. The
chili recipe in this article also utilizes ground beef to make up for the amino
acids that the beans may lack.
Beans
are also a great source of fiber as well as adding vitamins, iron, antioxidants
and anti-inflammatory agents to your diet.
If
you have high blood pressure, buy dried beans instead of canned beans. Canned
beans are loaded with sodium. Dried beans also cost much less than beans in a
can – at least half of the cost.
The
downside to dried beans is that you must soak the beans overnight in cold water
to soften them up.
Spicing Up Your Chili.
Some of the spices that you should include in your chili
are turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Here are the health
benefits that you can derive from these spices.
Turmeric.
The curcumin in turmeric not only reduces inflammation and the
pain of arthritis, but it can contribute to shrinking tumors.
Black
Pepper. Always use turmeric in combination with black pepper,
which helps your body improve absorption.
Cinnamon. If you have ever eaten Cincinnati-style chili, you will
notice the taste of cinnamon. Frequently used in Greek cuisine, cinnamon helps
lower blood sugar as well as cholesterol.
Cayenne
Pepper. Cayenne pepper
contains a spicy hot chemical compound called capsaicin, which not only can
clear out your sinuses, but it can also help relieve pain.
Cumin. Cumin is rich in iron and, when you regularly
add it to your diet, it may improve your blood cholesterol as well as help in
weight reduction.
Smoked Paprika. Smoked paprika will help enrichen the
red color of your chili. More importantly, it will add vitamins A, E and B6 and
minerals to your diet. The capsaicin in paprika may also help reduce
inflammation. Other chemical compounds are believed to help eye health and
reduce the pain of arthritis.
Italian
Spices. A blend of Italian spices usually consists of rosemary,
sage, thyme, basil and marjoram. Rosemary and sage can help prevent allergies
and improve brain function. The mixture of spices is rich in vitamins A, C and
K along with antioxidants, which can help prevent cancer and decrease
inflammation.
Test,
Don’t Guess. I use a lot of spices in my cooking.
They boost the flavor of the dish, without adding bad fats or extra sodium to
your diet and they provide compounds that improve your health.
The amount of spice recommended in the recipe may not be to
your liking. In some cases, you may want to add more. For this reason, adjust
these amounts to suit your taste. Before adding additional spices, test the
taste of your chili. If the chili is too spicy, add brown sugar to offset the heat.
Be careful when you use
baking powder to brown your ground beef or when adding turmeric to your other
spices. If you use too much of either of these ingredients, your chili could become
bitter. To counterbalance a bitter taste, you can add salt or a sweetener, such
as brown sugar.
The Right Way to Brown Ground Beef.
Browning
your ground beef adds flavor. The browner the meat, the more flavorful the
taste.
The
trick is to brown the meat without drying it out. The secret is to use baking
soda in its preparation before dumping it in your skillet.
In a large bowl, dissolve 1½ teaspoons of Kosher salt and ¾ teaspoons of baking soda into 2 tablespoons of water. DO NOT EXCEED THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF BAKING SODA, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A BITTER TASTE.
To the baking soda mixture add your ground beef. Gently break
apart the meat with your fingers and mix it about so that it evenly
incorporates the water.
Then
allow the cold ground beef to rest for a half of an hour on your kitchen
counter so that it warms up to outside temperature. Many cooks prefer browning
is a cast iron skillet. To properly brown the ground beef set your heat at
medium high. For browning meat or sauteing try using avocado oil, which has a
high smoke point. If the oil starts to smoke, lower the temperature.
Using
the baking powder and salt, the meat browns faster and achieves a darker color
with more flavor. Remember that you want the ground beef to be brown not grey. Before
adding the browned meat to your slow cooker, drain off the excess grease.
Slow
Cooking Your Chili.
For flavors of the various ingredients to blend together
you should cook your chili for at least 3 hours.
I
usually use a slow cooker in making my chili. Instead of simply dumping all of
the ingredients in the pot all at once, you need to take a few steps to improve
the flavor.
Always
brown your meat. Always sauté your onions, peppers and garlic. Always bloom your
spices.
If you want the most flavor from your spices, you need to
subject them to heat to release their oils. This is known as the blooming
process. The best way to incorporate spices in your recipe is to add them to
the onions at the end of sauteing, heating them for about 45 seconds. Simply
dumping the spices into your slow cooker will not provide you with the same
results.
Thick
or Thin. One of the best ways to thin a chili mixture when it is
too thick is to add either broth or beer. On the other hand, if your chili is
too watery, you can simply add more beans or other vegetables. This is
certainly healthier than adding flour or cornmeal.
Ingredients
Olive
or avocado oil for sauteing
2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
3 medium onions, diced
2 small cloves of minced garlic
(4) 15oz. cans of red kidney beans, rinsed
(1) 15oz. can of black beans, rinsed
(2) 6oz. cans of tomato paste
(1) 20oz. jar of thick and chunky medium salsa
(1) 28oz. can of diced tomatoes
(1) large green pepper diced
1 Tbspn. of cayenne red pepper
1 tsp. of chili powder
Dry bean alternative: Instead of canned beans, soak 3 cups of dried beans overnight in 9 cups of salted water, rinsed and drained. Salted water is important, because it softens up the skins of the beans and it prevents the beans from bursting during cooking.
Directions
In
a skillet, sauté the onions and other vegetables. Cook until the onions are
translucent and begin to caramelize.
Add
the garlic. Cook until you can smell the garlic, about an additional 2 to 3
minutes.
Add
the dry spices and continue to cook on medium heat for 45 seconds. The heat
will release any essential oils which will boost the flavor of the spices. Transfer
these ingredients to your slow cooker.
Brown
the meat in avocado oil separately from the spices, using the technique
previously described. Drain any grease after browning.
Combine
all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Cook the chili until the beans are tender, if
you are using dried beans.
If
you are serving your chili to guests, be sure to have plenty of shredded
cheddar cheese and sour cream on hand that they can add to their chili bowl.
You can also garnish the dish with chopped scallions or chopped cilantro.
Alternate Recipe: Crockpot Chili
Ingredients
Bacon
grease for sauteing
2
medium yellow onions, diced
1
red bell pepper, chopped
1
green bell pepper, chopped
2
jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
4
cloves garlic, minced
2-½
pounds ground beef
(1)
6 oz. can tomato paste
(1)
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2
Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce
3
cans of Rotel’s diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
(2)
15 oz. cans red kidney beans
(1)
15 oz. can of black beans
1 cup
beef broth
Spice
Mix
3
tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon
dried Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon
raw sugar
1
Tablespoon chicken bouillon
2
teaspoons cumin
2
teaspoons smoked paprika
3
teaspoons garlic powder
1
teaspoon Sazon seasoning
1
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon black pepper
½
teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8
teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
In
a skillet sauté the chopped onion in bacon grease until transparent. Sauté the
other vegetables. Add the spice mix to the vegetables and the minced garlic. Remove
the veggies to your crockpot when you smell the spices and garlic.
Brown
the ground beef. Break up the beef using a meat masher. Drain the excess grease
from the meat. Add the browned meat to the crockpot.
Add
the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to the crockpot.
Add
the diced tomatoes and beans. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to
suit your tastes.
Cook
on low for 6 hours.
Serve
with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Try these other Signpost Recipes
Easy Turmeric Yellow Rice
The Best Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
The Best Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Bon Appetite!
© 2021 Jim Hingst, All Rights Reserved
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