I’m currently stuck on chunky chili. If you follow me you know me getting stuck on something is a thing. I find something that works and I obsess on it until something else comes along. Squirrel!!
So . . . chunky chili. It’s got a lot of bits so bear with me.
I love rib steak. Not so much the cut as the flavor and tenderness of the meat . . . so I tend to use it a lot. Because I’m a cheapo I want the best quality for the fewest dollars I can spend. I buy boneless rib roast and cut it into steaks. When I want something like chunky chili I cut the steaks into small pieces. I get the flavor, I get the tenderness, I get a reasonable price. Win win.
I love flavor. I’ve got a chili seasoning recipe that delivers flavor. It’s not too spicy. I could probably serve it to Wadly who is a not-spicy guy though I’d probably leave out the chili sauce in that case. I make this up in batches and tailor the amount I add to my recipe depending on how I like the flavor.
- 1/2 tbsp cardamom
- 1/2 tbsp coriander
- 1/2 tbsp paprika (I use organic smoked paprika because it’s awesome and another layer of flavor)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp cilantro (if cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp garlic (if you’re low FODMAP use 1/2 tsp hing)
- 1 tsp black pepper
For chunky chili I cut my meat into small bits. Diced? Yeah, probably diced. I heat my skillet until it’s just short of smokin’, add garlic oil and a couple tbsp of butter, throw in the meat, give it a quick stir or two and sprinkle my chili seasoning on top, give it another quick stir and then add 2-3 tbsp chili sauce (I use Sambal Oelek), 1/2 cup bone broth, 1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes (canned), 1/2 diced tomato, sliced and diced green onion, diced green and red pepper to taste (totally okay to leave them out) and 1/2 cup drained/rinsed black beans.
Stir to combine, turn down to a low simmer, plop a lid on top and leave it for a while. This really is a quick-to-fix meal and the back side doesn’t take that long . . . ten minutes maybe.
After the broth has reduced turn off the burner. Leave it to sit or not, your call. This truly is a delicious chunky chili.
On the canned diced toms thing . . . I distribute the can into a silicone muffin tray and stick it in the freezer. No worries about left overs. Once frozen I stick ’em in zippered bags. Any time I want chunky chili or something else using diced toms I can grab out what I need . . . fast and convenient.
Bone broth . . . I make it by the batch. We get bones from our local butcher from good grass fed beef. In my instant pot I process with cardamom pods, leak tops, a bit of salt and filtered water. Once cooled I package in zippy snack bags, place the filled bags on a tray and freeze. Once frozen I pop them into a gallon zippy for convenient access. When I make a recipe I whack off the amount I need (cutting board, big knife and brass hammer), place the remainder in the next size up zippy and stick it back in the freezer. Really convenient.
