Babos Chili Recipes

THE BEST CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until just browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until coated and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cooked ground beef and any accumulated liquid, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the chili, partially covered, until the beef is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the beans and their liquid and simmer uncovered until the beans are softened and the chili is thickened, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top with sour cream, Cheddar and scallions. Serve with tortilla chips.

CHILI NACHOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• On an ovensafe plate, arrange some of the chips in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle on a good layer of cheese, then add a layer of the chili, then another round of chips, cheese and chili. Keep going until you feel you've successfully built Mount St. Nacho!
• Put the plate in the oven and heat the nachos until the cheese is totally melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Then dive right in and devour them.
• In a large, heavy pot, brown the ground beef with the garlic over medium heat until the beef is totally cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat, leaving a little behind for moisture and flavor. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally; if the liquid level seems low, add up to 1 cup water to keep it from burning.
• After an hour, stir in the kidney and pinto beans. In a small bowl, combine the masa harina with 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork until it's smooth. Pour the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, then taste the chili and adjust the seasonings. Simmer the chili for another 10 minutes to thicken, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Fill freezer bags with 2-cup portions and freeze them flat for easy stacking (or freeze in other freezer-safe containers).

BOBO'S SIX CHILE CHILI

Steps:

• Fill metal bowl with hot water, place dried chiles in the water, let soak for 15 minutes. Brown meat and onions, drain. Return meat to the pot and add Cilantro, Cumin, Chili Powder, Black Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Beef Base and Sugar stirring over low heat.
• Drain the Chiles, reserving the liquid. Place the chiles including the Jalapeno into a blender or food processor. Use reserved liquid to blend until smooth but not watery. Pour mixture into pot. Add Black Pepper and Salt, to taste.
• Simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour. You can adjust the thickness by simmering longer or by adding more of the reserved liquid. Serve with Corn Bread, chopped onions, cheese, sour cream.