Otoros Ultimate Chili Recipes

THE ULTIMATE CHILI

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
• Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.

OTORO'S ULTIMATE CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick 5 quart pot on medium high heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, covered on medium low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until light brown. Add more oil if needed, make sure the onions don't burn!
• Turn the heat up to medium high and begin to cook the meat. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Once the meat is almost cooked add the garlic and tomato paste. Break up the tomato paste and incorporate into the meat. It should look like a sloppy joe consistency.
• When the meat is cooked through, drain if desired and add the beans (along with their liquid) and the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine. If it seems too thick add a bit of water and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat down and simmer, partially covered for an hour to an hour and a half. Stir occasionally.
• Remove from heat. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with chopped onion, tomato, or grated cheese if desired. Bon Appetito.

OTORO'S ULTIMATE SAUSAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a 10" to 12" skillet over medium high heat and add sausage.
• Break up sausage with a wooden spoon. Add onion after a minute or two.
• Once the sausage is cooked, use a teaspoon to heavily dust the sausage with flour.
• Stir to incorporate the flour, you want it to coat the sausage and soak up the grease.
• Once the flour has turned a very light brown (about 2-3 minutes) add the milk and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat down to medium and continue to stir, it should thicken up quite quickly. If the gravy seems to thick, add more milk.
• Add the hot pepper sauce (I like Frank's) and 8-10 grinds of coarse black pepper. Stir and serve immediately. Bon Appetito.

OTORO'S ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift together both flours, the baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until pale, light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix until the flour is completely blended, scraping the bowl as necessary.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate and nuts until evenly distributed. (The dough can be refrigerated, well wrapped, up to a week or frozen for up to one month).
• Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon (or use a cookie scoop), 2 inches apart, onto the prepared pans, I usually can fit 8 on a half sheet pan. Flatten each cookie slightly. Bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely, if you can wait that long. Bon Appetito.

OTORO'S ULTIMATE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• To make the sauce: heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a 5 quart pot. Add onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook 3-5 minutes.
• Add garlic (reserve 1 teaspoon) and ground round and season with salt and pepper, continue to cook until meat is cooked through. Drain off excess fat if desired.
• Add all your tomato products, wine, parsley stems and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer. Taste the sauce, if it seems too sour add a bit of sugar. Stir occasionally.
• To make the meatballs: in a nonreactive bowl mix the remaining pound of meat with 2 T. parsley, breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1 t. garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese, 1 t. salt, pepper to taste, and 2 T. olive oil.
• Shape into balls about the size of a cherry tomato, brown in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Drain on paper towels. They don't need to be cooked through, they will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce along with the remaining herbs, simmer 30-45 minutes longer.
• Cook the ziti in boiling water slightly firmer than al dente. Drain.
• In the pasta cooking pot, add the pasta along with several ladles of sauce, meatballs, half the remaining Parmesan and half the mozzarella, stir to combine.
• Mix the ricotta with the egg until smooth.
• In a large baking dish, add a couple ladles of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add half the pasta mixture, then spread all the ricotta in one even layer. Then a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat with remaining pasta, then cheeses. I usually have a little pasta left that won't fit in the dish so don't worry, it makes a nice little snack while you wait.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 15-30 minutes until bubbly.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving with a big spoon. Bon Appetito.

ULTIMATE CHILI

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onions and garlic, cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
• Add the next 7 ingredients (the seasonings) and cook 4 minutes.
• Add undrained plum tomatoes (crushing with the back of a wooden spoon), and the undrained Rotel tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Add kidney beans and cook an additional 10 minutes.