Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne Recipes

CHILLI CON CARNE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine, if using, and boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
• Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat and add any extra seasoning if necessary.
• Serve with lime wedges, rice, guacamole, soured cream and a big green salad.

CHILLI CON CARNE RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare your vegetables. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel it and slice each half into thick matchsticks lengthways, not quite cutting all the way to the root end so they are still held together. Slice across the matchsticks into neat dice.
• Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
• Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob).
• Add the onion and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft, squidgy and slightly translucent.
• Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin.
• Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Brown 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince.
• Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
• Make the sauce. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture.
• Add a 400g can of chopped tomatoes. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram, 1 tsp sugar and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
• Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes.
• Check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan or isn't drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
• Drain and rinse a 410g can of red kidney beans in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry.
• Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think.
• Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving. This is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle.
• Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.

SMOKY CHILLI CON CARNE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a casserole or shallow saucepan over a medium heat, then fry the beef for about 10 mins until any fat has been released and the beef has started to brown. Add the onion and fry for another 8-10 mins until the onions have softened and started to brown slightly. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
• Stir in the cumin seeds, ground coriander, oregano and a good grinding of black pepper, and continue to fry the mixture for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, then the chipotle and tomato pastes, and stir everything together. Tip in the tomatoes and a can of water, then add the yeast extract and crumble in the stock cube. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
• When the chilli has thickened, tip in the beans and half the liquid from the can. Simmer for 20 mins more, taste for seasoning, then serve with rice, and top with the soured cream, jalapeños, coriander leaves and onion.

FEED-A-CROWD CHUNKY BEEF CHILLI

Steps:

• Drain the chillies and discard the seeds and stalks. Roughly chop and put in the small bowl of a food processor with the garlic, 2 tbsp of the oil, the red wine vinegar, cumin and oregano. Whizz to a paste.
• Put the meat in a bowl or resealable food bag, pour on the paste and rub all over the meat. Leave to marinate overnight (or for at least 4 hrs).
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the remaining oil in a large, lidded flameproof casserole dish and cook the onions for a few mins until beginning to soften. Add the meat and all the paste to the dish and cook for about 5 mins, turning the meat until browned all over. Pour in the tomatoes and add the cinnamon. Stir everything together, then add 100ml water and bring to the boil. Put on the lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hr 45 mins.
• Remove the lid and stir in the red peppers, chocolate, sugar and all the beans. Return to the oven for another 20 mins. To serve, stir in the lime zest and juice, season to taste, and scatter over the coriander.