We love chili. Who doesn’t! But like every other dish I make, I like to change things up a bit. And having recently purchased a small bag (thank God) of Eye of the Goat heirloom dried beans, I decided to go all out and not only use my newly purchased expensive beans but also try a new chili recipe. So, I went to one of my favorite cooking sites (spendwithpennies.com) and found Holly’s recipe for The Best Chili.
I of course messed with the recipe a bit including the use of dried jalapeño powder* (which BTW I have become an ardent fan) rather than a fresh jalapeño. (I hardly ever have a fresh jalapeño on hand.) And as with many recipes that call for canned beans, I prefer to start with dried beans and go from there.
Well, if these dried beans were meant to soften at some point, they never did for me. And I cooked the soaked beans for at least 3 hours!
And of course, this was one of those nights when Mr. C. had a rehearsal and had to be out of the house by 6:00 pm. So, the chili was absolutely divine, except for the beans. Not only were they still, after hours of burbling on the stove, slightly crunchy, there was no flavor at all. So, I’d lay money on the fact that you could guess what happened to the rest of the bag. If not, let me tell you that those recalcitrant beans are now residing in our yard waste barrel. And a jolly good place for them too! Bad beans!
Anyway, while I was reading the chili recipe preface, I clicked on Holly’s recipe for homemade chili powder. So, while I was at it, I made that recipe (with a couple of modifications) too. And I WILL NEVER BUY CHILI POWDER AGAIN. After making the chili powder I did a taste test. Wet spoon, stick it in homemade chili powder, taste. Yummy savory flavor. Wash spoon, stick in purchased chili powder, taste, and yikes! Water, give me water! Very bitter and hardly any flavor!
So, my dear chili loving friends, I suggest you too make your own chili powder. And if you want to change up your chili a bit, give this recipe a try. Just don’t go crazy and use unfamiliar dried beans. Or if you do, cook them separately, hours in advance. And always, absolutely always have a can or two of beans on hand for emergencies.
And please let me remind you that dried beans do not have the shelf life of a Twinkie! Dried beans will generally stay at best quality for about 2 to 3 years at normal room temperature. They will remain safe to cook after that but may take longer to cook and have less flavor. (If they ever get soft at all!)
Frankly, I think the darling little bag of heirloom beans I bought at a boutique specialty food store somewhere along the way on one of our trailer adventures must actually have been on the shelf longer than I have been retired. Which is a couple of decades now. There was no “best used by” date on the packaging, because after my undercooked dried bean disaster, I looked very carefully at the packaging.
Well, life sometimes offers surprises. But as cooks, we keep trying new ingredients, new recipes, and new ways of making food delicious and nutritious. Blessing on all of you who cook from scratch. Keep up the good work. (Just don’t trust dried beans any more than you would a certain unelected billionaire who is wreaking havoc on America.)
And as always, especially in these tumultuous times, stay strong and committed to empathy, diversity, and justice. Peace and love to all.
1 c. dried beans of choice or 1-2 cans of chili, kidney, black beans, etc., rinsed
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ onion, diced
1 c. diced celery
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 T. Savory Homemade Chili Powder (more or less) (see recipe below) (or store bought if you must)
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
tiny pinch powdered jalapeño*
1 bay leaf
1 (28 oz.) can diced, crushed, or whole tomatoes with juice (preferably Italian)
½ (28 oz.) can water
1 T. tomato paste
2 T. beef base (I use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
1 can beer (I used an IPA because that’s what we had on hand)
2 tsp. brown sugar
Either soak the beans overnight in your refrigerator or place in a small saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit covered for about 2 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large, covered Dutch oven or heavy pan. Brown the ground beef, then stir in the onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chili powder, cumin, seasoned salt, black pepper, powdered jalapeño, and bay leaf and cook for another minute or so.
Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, water, beef base, beer, brown sugar, and drained and rinsed beans.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 60-90 minutes or until the beans are tender. Then remove the lid and let the chili simmer until it has reached desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Offer grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream at table.
*Jalapeño powder is the result of drying and grinding fresh jalapeño peppers into a fine consistency like other seasonings. The taste of jalapeño powder is naturally very similar to that of the whole jalapeño, but the fact that it has been dehydrated and ground leads to its flavor being much more concentrated. So, you need only a small amount of powder to achieve the same amount of heat and intensity of a fresh pepper.
Jalapeño powder and Savory Homemade Chili Powder
SAVORY HOMEMADE CHILI POWDER
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, more or less
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 tsp. smoked paprika
4 tsp. dried oregano leaves (preferably Mexican oregano), broken down a bit
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 T. granulated garlic
2 T. granulated onion
½ c. sweet paprika
Combine all ingredients together in an airtight container.
Teaspoon for teaspoon, use in any of your favorite recipes calling for chili powder.