Chill Chaser Chili Recipes

CHASEN'S ORIGINAL CHILI RECIPE

Steps:

• A secret ingredient added by a chef (after Dave Chasen stopped making the chili himself) is a quarter cup or 4 tablespoons of Kahlua liqueur. I heard someone won a chili championship with the recipe, including that addition.
• *Chasen's used the best beef chuck, center cut, trimmed completely of fat. The restaurant used a special meat grinder, but for the home cook, meat chopped into one-quarter to one-half-inch chunks is much better than ground meat for this chili. Alternatively, ask the butcher to put the meat through a "chili plate" ONE time - this is a very coarse grind, and works well for chili.
• ** Chasen's used Gebhardt's Chili Powder and Farmer Bros Cumin. Sometimes cumin seed is used in place of the ground cumin. It's a matter of personal preference. You might toast the seeds in a dry skillet, and crush them before adding to the recipe.
• Rinse the beans, picking out debris. Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover 2' above beans. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
• Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, for one hour or until tender.
• Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet, sauté bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick - it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim of excess fat and serve.
• NOTE: You can freeze this chili for several months. When reheating refrigerated leftover or frozen chili, add a few tablespoons of water to regain proper consistency.

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.

CHILL-CHASER CHILI

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the first 5 ingredients; transfer beans to a large soup pot.
• Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Bring to a boil; stir occasionally.
• Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Spoon into serving bowl and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.

SIMPLE, PERFECT CHILI

Steps:

• Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.
• After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.

CLASSIC CHILI

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large soup kettle, saute green pepper, onions and celery in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add kidney beans. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer. If desired, serve with tortilla chips.

CHASEN'S CHILI

Steps:

• Pour the beans in a saucepan and cook until tender, adding water if necessary Heat the oil in the skillet, add the peppers and onions and cook until the onions are translucent.
• Add the garlic and parsley.
• Heat oil and butter in a pot large enough for all the ingredients.
• Add the beef and cook about 25 minutes, stirring to break up the lumps.
• Add the chili powder and cumin about halfway through the cooking process.
• Add the peppers and onions to the meat.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
• Simmer for 60 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the beans and water and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
• Skim off fat.
• Serve with sour cream, chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese and crackers.

CHASEN'S FAMOUS CHILI

Steps:

• In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, place beans and enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Heat to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 1 hour. Drain.
• Add 3 cups water to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 hour 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in tomatoes; cook 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook bell peppers and onions in oil 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add parsley and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add beef, pork, chili powder, salt, cumin and pepper; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef and pork are thoroughly cooked.
• Stir meat mixture into bean mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 30 minutes.