44. Learn how to cook 10 traditional American dishes (2/10) - Tailgate Chili

Ah does it get more authentically Texan than Chili? I would argue yes (fajitas, bar-b-que , chicken fried steak) however I would officially be WRONG! Would you believe that the Texas Legislature officially proclaimed chili as the official ‘state food’ of Texas in 1977 ‘in recognition of the fact that the only real ‘bowl of red’ is that prepared by Texans’ so I guess I’m overruled! So in honor of my adopted state I decided it was time to make chili, (the negative temperatures may of influenced my decision a little as well) however it is interesting to note that the addition of beans in chili is controversial at best in Texas as ‘If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans’ – if you’re a Texan chili purist you don’t add beans but I just had to… for nutritional value!!

Tailgate Chili

Ingredients

1kg mince beef

500g Italian sausage

3 cans chili beans, drained

1 can chili beans in spicy sauce

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 large green capsicum, chopped

1 large red capsicum, chopped

2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped

3 pieces Canadian bacon, cooked and chopped

4 beef stock cubes

1 375ml bottle of beer

¼ cup of chili powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsps ground cumin

2 tsps Tobasco

1 tsps dried basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsps ground black pepper

1 tsps paprika

1 tsps white sugar

All the ingredients for the Chili - I like to use a rich beer like an American Amber for added flavour (Love Breckenridge Brewery Avalanche Ale) and I buy my tomatoes with the green chilli already added in... less chopping!! 

Directions

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage and the bacon, remove from pan and chop into small pieces. Crumble the ground beef (mince) into the hot pan and add the sausage. Cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess fat and liquid.

All the mincy sausagey goodness ready for the next step

Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomato and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red capsicum, chile peppers, bacon bits, stock cubes and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, Tabasco, basil, salt, peper, cayenne, paprika and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over a low heat for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. 

Having added all the ingredients the next step is to wait... perhaps with a nice Avalanche Ale??

After 2 hours, taste and adjust the salt, pepper and chili powder as required and allow to simmer for another hour - remember the long the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and refrigerate for eating the next day (again it will intensify the taste!)

Ready to be thrown in the fridge overnight to intensify the flavour

Serve the chili with corn chips, a sprinkling of cheese and sour cream - Texans call this a Frito Pie (Frito-Lay is the brand of corn chips traditionally used) or scoop out a twice baked potato and replace the filling with chili. Perfect comfort food on a cold and chilly evening!! 

Bon Apettite!!