Hippo's Thrice-Damned Chili

[The Great Hippo]

Thrice-damned because you're damned when you make it, damned when you eat it, and damned when it comes out.

YOU WILL REQUIRE:

* ONE (1) LARGE MOTHER-FUCKIN' POT
* ONE (1) LARGE MOTHER-FUCKIN' SKILLET
* ONE (1) TO ONE AND A HALF (1.5) POUNDS OF YOUR FINEST GROUND BOVINE FLESH
* ONE (1) YELLOW ONION (DICED)
* ONE (1) TO THREE (3) GARLIC CLOVES (DICED FINELY)
* THREE (3) FRESH JALAPEÑOS
* TWO (2) 28 OZ CANS OF STEWED TOMATOES
* ONE (1) 28 OZ CAN OF DICED TOMATOES
* THREE (3) 19 OZ CANS OF BEANS, FUCK I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND DO I LOOK LIKE A BEAN-OLOGIST, OKAY FINE KIDNEY BEANS OR SOMETHING
* BLACK PEPPER
* CRUSHED RED PEPPER
* SALT
* CHILI POWDER
* GARLIC POWDER
* A GOOD BLENDER
* ONE (1) TO SIX (6) PIE-HOLES (TO SHOVE THE CHILI INTO, YOU INSUFFERABLE CHUCKLEFUCK)

Cut the tops off your jalapeños (pronounced 'jah-lap-enos' for all you yankee fucks); add to stewed tomatoes in your blender. BLEND THAT SHIT. Put it in your large mother-fuckin' pot. Add diced tomatoes to pot. Add (drained) beans to pot. Add garlic powder (to taste) to pot. Add crushed red pepper (to taste; I use several large pinches) to pot. Add chili powder (to taste; I use at least several tablespoons worth) to pot. Stir.

NOW SIMMER THAT SHIT.

Throw your ground bovine flesh into the large mother-fuckin' skillet. Start cooking and breaking it apart. Once the meat starts to brown, throw in your diced onion and finely diced garlic; cook (and stir) until meat is thoroughly brown (and onions are clear and lose their strong flavor). You want the meat to be as loose as possible, so chop and break up any chunks continuously. Add black pepper (to taste) and salt (to taste). Pour this into the large mother-fucking pot (greasy fat and all), then continue to simmer (covered). If you're simmering it right, the ingredients should eventually sink, leaving the top resembling a soup--if you simmer it a little too 'high', it will form a skin on top--just break the skin and turn it down a notch. Stir occasionally. Simmer for at least an hour.

NOW EAT THAT SHIT.

NOTES: I've replaced the beans with different things depending on what's available; I've used red kidney beans (favorite), white kidney beans (I like to mix these with the red), and even chick peas (interesting, although a bit firmer than I'd like). The stewed-versus-diced tomatoes is just for texture (I like some tomato chunks); using all stewed tomatoes (or all diced tomatoes) thoroughly blended doesn't seem to affect the flavor. I avoid tomato cans with lots of added ingredients (though a few, like garlic, celery, and green peppers, are fine). I'm sure you could do this with fresh tomatoes, I just find it more convenient to use canned ones. I've also used canned jalapeños with no discernible difference.

The 'hour simmer' part of the recipe seems to be incredibly important; I'm not sure why, but I've tried it both ways (simmered and unsimmered), and the latter ends up being very bland.

One final note--I've found storing this chili is a cinch, and when reheated, it's just as delicious as if it was fresh. You can freeze it with impunity, heat it back up in a pot, or a microwave--the latter is a little tricky (you'll have to nuke it, stir it, nuke it again, stir it, nuke it again...) but ends up just as good.

Suggestions for improving the recipe--experiments I could try, ways I could make it tastier, spicier, or more interesting--are more than welcome. I'm also interested in a meat-free version, though I'm wary of most meat-substitutes and I'd like to hear from people who know more about it than I do before I give anything a try.

[Nath]

This thread reminded me that I haven't made chili in several months. I shall have to rectify this.

Thoughts:

• Three cans of beans per pound of meat would give you a very beany chili. When I add beans to my chili, I usually go with one can of beans (pinto or kidney) and 1 or 1.25 lb of meat. The meat could be ground or chunks; I like a mixture of ground beef and tri-tip pieces.
• By 'chili powder', do you just mean powdered chilis, or that ridiculous bland spice blend that supermarkets tend to call chili powder?
• Needs cumin and oregano. I guess supermarket chili powder would already contain them, but you might prefer whole (or freshly powdered) cumin and dried oregano leaves. You get to control the ratio and freshness this way.
• Simmering for a couple of hours is good; I usually add the beans in the last half hour or so to avoid overcooking them.
• I like to add a small amount of cocoa solids (non-Dutch process) right after browning the meat.
• I like serranos instead of jalapenos.
• If you like cilantro, it makes a nice garnish for chili.
• Meat-free chili con carne confuses me. It's a meat dish, like steak. You can't have meat-free steak. But there's nothing wrong with a nice bowl of chili con frijoles, or its Indian cousin, rajma masala.

[The Great Hippo]

I do in fact use the grocery-bought chili powder--I absolutely love spicy foods, and I'd love to hear about some alternatives, though.

I'll try reducing the amount of beans I use next time; mostly, I just like the texture. I'll also give adding the beans later a try (I do notice they tend to break apart and partially disintegrate after I've simmered them for a while). I'm definitely up for adding oregano, too--and I know I've got a good pound of cumin sitting around here somewhere (I have reservations with cumin, though--it seems like pretty strong stuff and I'd be worried about overpowering the flavor). Would cumin and oregano possibly be enough kick to replace the chili powder with?

[Nath]

I'm looking at the ingredients on a jar of store-bought chili powder: chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, silicon dioxide, garlic. So yeah, you could certainly add these ingredients separately (apart from the sand) and experiment with the ratios. I tend to use powdered red chilis from the Indian grocery, but you could also use chili flakes or various dried chilis. Cumin and oregano are the two classic chili spices, but you could also experiment with coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves etc., either whole or powdered. If you're using whole spices, you probably want to add them at the beginning, while browning the meat and onions. They will flavor the fat, and cumin in particular tastes better slightly toasted.

[poxic]

If the cumin is fresh, do be careful with how much you add. Unless you actually *want* cumin stew, that is.

[Thesh]

The last chili I made was this:

8 oz dried black beans (soaked overnight)
1.5lbs ground beef
4 poblanos (or was it 2?)
8 jalapenos
8 seranos
2 habaneros
1/2 yellow onion
1 10oz can tomato sauce
store bought chili powder to taste
cayenne powder to taste (for additional heat)
Salt to taste (adding a tsp at the beginning doesn't hurt)

Brown the meat, add the rest of the ingredients, add water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until it thickens a bit and tastes good.

Although next time I'll drop the poblanos and double the jalapenos and habaneros since the heat just wasn't right.

[philsov]

* TWO (2) 28 OZ CANS OF STEWED TOMATOES
* ONE (1) 28 OZ CAN OF DICED TOMATOES

Suggesting a substitution from the diced tomatoes to a can of Rotel of equal size. Yes, even with diced jalepenos in the mix. It won't be as hot as Thesh's monstrosity, though

In my personal recipe which is also akin to the OP, I add in a potato or two as well; usually sliced and quartered SKINS ON. Skin off means they'll just mush up the entire time, but the skin provides some stability. Some potatoes will stuck mush up and peel themselves, but it only serves to help thicken the mixture. I use dry beans, usually to the tune of half a pound. I'll cook the beans, potatoes, and onions/bell peppers/jalepenos on a low heat until the beans are done, then throw in the pre-browned beef, spices/chili powder, and tomatoes and let that stew for longer.

[dubsola]

God bless you, Hippo. What a great recipe write up. One question: what the hell are crushed red peppers? Is that the same as capsicum, or are they actual chilli pods, or something in between?

Suggestions:
-Make it easier by eliminating your skillet. Brown the meat in the pot, add the onions and garlic (I actually do onions and garlic first, but I am an onion frying control master and NEVER burn my onions), then add all that other stuff.
-After you've fried the onions, garlic and meat, add some alcohol. I've used red wine, Guiness and other stouts. Not all at once. This is good.
-Nath is right about the following: Cumin - I just add a teaspoon. Cumin has no kick so you definitely still need the chilli powder. Oh, bay leaves are good too. Chocolate or cocoa. I add a few squares of dark as hell chocolate. Oregano - dry, I add it about half an hour before it's finished cooking. Fresh, I fry it with the meat. Cilantro, or coriander as I call it, is good at the end. I stir it in to the finished-cooking-but-still-hot product. Sometimes I use flat-leaf parsley instead. The point of adding cilantro or parsley at the end is that they can lift the flavour a bit and add a freshness - which is useful if you've used a stout and dark chocolate.
-Meat-free chilli is fine because it allows vegetarians to eat chilli. I add black beans as well as red kidney beans to a vegetarian chilli. But listen, meat-free chilli requires much, much less chilli powder / fresh chillis. The meat fat absorbs the chilli, I guess. I've cooked two pots of chilli side by side, the meat one had a mild kick, the meat-free one was just about inedible.
-I add a splash of worcester sauce during cooking.
-A decent length of cooking time is desirable. Sometimes I cook it for an hour or two, then turn the heat off, let it rest, then heat it back up. I dunno if it does anything but I'd like to think it does.

I serve it with steamed white rice most of the time, but occasionally just have it straight from the bowl with some crusty bread. Other side dishes / additions which are good: green salad, baked potato, guacamole. Some people like sour cream with it, I don't.

[Роберт]

Cilantro, or coriander as I call it, is good at the end.

FYI, in the U.S., cilantro refers to the leafy plant, and coriander refers to the seeds of said plant. Both are distinct things and both are used in cooking.

[dubsola]

Okey dokey. I am aware that they are different things, over here we differentiate by adding "seeds" to the word coriander, to indicate that it is the seeds, not the leaf to which we refer.

[Nath]

Meat-free chilli is fine because it allows vegetarians to eat chilli.

Not really. Chili con carne is fundamentally a spicy meat stew. Beans and tomatoes and whatnot are details. When people make bad chili, it's usually because they forget this. There's no substitute for meat in meat stew, just like there's no substitute for steak in steak.

You could certainly make an excellent spicy bean stew. Maybe it's a philosophical point, but I think it's be best to think of it as a different dish, rather than a meatless meat stew. All the good vegetarian dishes I've eaten were good in their own right, and had no gastronomic goals other than to showcase the flavors and textures of their ingredients. This is how lifelong vegetarians cook, and it's delicious.

Most of the bad vegetarian dishes I've eaten were crippled imitations of meat dishes. This is how people who miss meat cook, and it's unfortunate. It's why I rarely bother ordering vegetarian food in the US.

[Роберт]

Okey dokey. I am aware that they are different things, over here we differentiate by adding "seeds" to the word coriander, to indicate that it is the seeds, not the leaf to which we refer.

"Dinner" is a confusing term in the U.S., since it can refer to either the midday meal or the evening meal. I usually say Breakfast, Lunch, and Supper to avoid this.

Would saying "cilantro" for the leafy part and "coriander seeds" for the seed part be the easiest way to stay unambiguous?

[Bakemaster]

The vast majority of the time, "dinner" refers to the evening meal and people don't distinguish between "dinner" and "supper." In my experience the only common exceptions are holiday dinners which tend to be held in the early afternoon.

[dubsola]

Most of the bad vegetarian dishes I've eaten were crippled imitations of meat dishes. This is how people who miss meat cook, and it's unfortunate. It's why I rarely bother ordering vegetarian food in the US.

I get your broader point, there are plenty of great dishes that have never involved meat, sure. But as for making some sort of philisophical stand that those are the only ones I'm going to cook - no way! Some pretty tasty things have been made in my kitchen when I've tried to accommodate vegetarians. There are plenty of amazing dishes with just a little bit of meat, that can be adapted with some creativity.

And then the chilli I make... I'm going to continue to call it chilli, probably with the 'vegetarian' prefix, and I would explain that I use black beans instead of mincemeat. If I call it spicy bean stew people would have much less of an idea of what it's like... unless I then said 'it's quite similar to chilli'. Which it is, because it's the same recipe.

Would saying "cilantro" for the leafy part and "coriander seeds" for the seed part be the easiest way to stay unambiguous?

Absolutely, if people here knew what cilantro was, that would work. Most don't.

[Felstaff]

Yeah, I was trying to find out what the heckins 'cilantro' is using Edge (2kbps floaty internet that never works) on my phone in the middle of a supermarket at some point last year. I was like wtf? Who calls coriander 'cilantro'? At least now I know the difference. It's hard enough translating US imperial measurements to wonderful, wonderful metric. Seriously, you guys use cups for both fluid and solid amounts? 1 cup of flour & 1 cup of water? I think you mean 120 grams of flour and 240 millilitres of water!

crushed red peppers?

From what I have gathered (what I use, anyway) are dried crushed chillis/chilli flakes. They come in herb shakers, like so:

Good old Schwartz

If someone wishes to correct me, please do so, but I always use these when I see "crushed red/green/chilli peppers" and if I'm wrong in doing so, then by jove I don't want to be right.

[Nath]

And then the chilli I make... I'm going to continue to call it chilli, probably with the 'vegetarian' prefix, and I would explain that I use black beans instead of mincemeat. If I call it spicy bean stew people would have much less of an idea of what it's like... unless I then said 'it's quite similar to chilli'. Which it is, because it's the same recipe.

Fair enough.

Yeah, I was trying to find out what the heckins 'cilantro' is using Edge (2kbps floaty internet that never works) on my phone in the middle of a supermarket at some point last year. I was like wtf? Who calls coriander 'cilantro'?

My mind was blown many years ago when I realized that the south Indian herb 'kothamalli' and the north Indian herb 'dhania' were, in fact, the same thing. I later discovered that it was also the American herb 'cilantro' and the British herb 'coriander'.

As for the crushed red chillies, yeah, I'm pretty sure those are just red chilli flakes.

[dubsola]

So here's one thing I haven't worked out yet: what is the difference between chilli powder and chilli flakes / crushed red peppers? Surely chilli powder is dried chillis, powdered?

[Felstaff]

You can't make chilli paste with flakes! Flakes are more for seasoning/spicing up soups and stocks. They don't dissolve in water/thicken liquid like powder, and you rarely need more than a teaspoon (per serving). When I get home I'm going to get my chilli chicken recipe out and whack that up. It's basically chilli con carne with chicken instead of a lolly bit o' beef and it's wonderfully spicy, despite only having less than a teaspoon of chilli flakes in it.

[Ulc]

So here's one thing I haven't worked out yet: what is the difference between chilli powder and chilli flakes / crushed red peppers? Surely chilli powder is dried chillis, powdered?

A general thing with spices, the more you powder it, and expose it to larger surface area with air, the more of the taste it loses.

What I find with chilli powders is that they usually taste less of chilli, but retains the (boring) heat. It's the same reason that I categorically refuse to buy and/or use finely powdered pepper (that is, finely pre-bought powdered, it's fine when I powder it myself 2 min. before pouring it in the dish)., it's all heat, no taste.

And to be honest, that doesn't so much me dull, as it makes me angry at what people do to my food.

[dubsola]

Ah. I should really buy a spice grinder. I do have a small blender I could use.

[Bakemaster]

The Krups Fast Touch is cheap and works quite well as a spice grinder in small quantities.

[meridian]

Ooh, I had a Krups once. I think it ended up with the ex though. If I don't get a new one for Giftgiving Holiday, I will gift myself one.

I am going to try chili this weekend! I'm using some TVP for texture and going sin carne. All I need to secure is (more) crushed red pepper and some fresh jalapeños of Hippo's recipe. I'll let people know what kind of prep I did on the TVP to give it any flavor at all.

[PAstrychef]

The product marketed as chili powder is a spice blend of powdered red peppers, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and other stuff as the manufacturer desires. It is the equivalent of curry powder, in that people cooking "real" Indian food would make their own garam masala, which could daily be different for each dish, and is certainly different for each household.
Crushed red pepper flakes are just that. The seeds are usually included, and they usually aren't particularly hot, as these things go.
You can get powdered chilies of specific peppers, such as ancho, chipotle, allepo or birdseye from places like Penzey's or The Spice House. Purists will use these as the basis for their own chili powder. If you find a pre-made blend you like, by all means use it.

[Telchar]

Chili powder to me adds more depth or umami while red pepper flakes add spiciness. Paprika is technically a chili powder, though it has no real heat. Most that I encounter are similar just with different flavor profiles.

[Nath]

Chili powder to me adds more depth or umami while red pepper flakes add spiciness. Paprika is technically a chili powder, though it has no real heat. Most that I encounter are similar just with different flavor profiles.

By 'chili powder', do you mean powdered chilis, or the spice mixture PAstrychef mentioned? I don't think chilis contain significant amounts of glutamates (though I'm not certain), so I doubt plain powdered chilis would add umami. A chili powder mixture might contain some MSG, though; that'd do it.

[PAstrychef]

Time to get some serious paprika, because that stuff can pack a punch. Try some Spanish pimenton, or some of the real Hungarian stuff-again, from a good merchant like The Spice House or Exotic Grocers.com, where you know it's fresh.

[dubsola]

This is absolutely my favourite paprika. It comes in sweet (dulce) or hot (picante). Both are excellent. I've never had any Hungarian stuff.

I never add paprika to chilli as it has such a strong flavour that I believe overwhelms the mixture of the other flavours. But then I suppose someone up there (poxic) was worried that too much cumin would do the same. I never add too much cumin (a teaspoon full for a medium sized chilli - to feed 6 people or so - is about right) so I'm not bothered, perhaps if I just add a little bit of paprika it would work. I find that a teaspoon of the paprika above is enough to powerfully flavour any stew so it'd have to be less than that.

[Bakemaster]

Even regular old supermarket paprika has a little heat if you add enough of it. Which is to say, heaping tablespoons per serving.

[grythyttan]

I mostly forego using dried chili at all and instead replace it with either fresh chopped chili or sambal oelek. But I suppose that's partly because I often forget to replace the red pepper flakes or chili powder when it runs out.

The chili I usually make:

about 2 kg of chuck roll (I think, the translation is a bit vague and there doesn't seem to be any kind of standardization of meat cuts. Standardize ALL the things!)
4 carrots
4 onions
5 bell peppers
1 whole garlic, And don't you dare use any less!
5 or so bay leaves
4 fresh chilies, what kind depends entirely on how hot you like it. That there are 4 is because that's how many of whatever it is I keep buying it takes to give me a nice heat.
3 tbsp tomato paste
8 bouillon cubes, the meatiest kind you can find.
4-6 cans of porter. Depending on how much liquid you want and how much beer you drink during the cooking process.
a lot of cumin and oregano
not quite as much coriander
Several friends.

Chop the carrots, onions chilies garlic and bell peppers ferociously, the smaller the pieces the less you have to mash it later.
Trim the meat a little and cut it into fairly small pieces. Throw it into a large pot together with the vegetables and cover with porter. Add tomato paste, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, coriander, oregano and cumin.
Let it simmer for at least 4 hours or until the vegetables are no longer identifiable and the meat is falling apart. Whisk it to help the meat fall apart completely.
Eat until you're ashamed. Tortilla chips goes nicely with it.

[Telchar]

Chili powder to me adds more depth or umami while red pepper flakes add spiciness. Paprika is technically a chili powder, though it has no real heat. Most that I encounter are similar just with different flavor profiles.

By 'chili powder', do you mean powdered chilis, or the spice mixture PAstrychef mentioned? I don't think chilis contain significant amounts of glutamates (though I'm not certain), so I doubt plain powdered chilis would add umami. A chili powder mixture might contain some MSG, though; that'd do it.

How would you describe the flavor that paprika brings to a dish? My understanding of the word umami makes it seem appropriate but I'm open to my own misunderstanding. As for paprika, I generally use this and find it wonderful, but really never seems to add heat at least in the quantities I use it in. Although, I generally put it in dishes I already expect some spice in, so perhaps it's just a misattribution on my part.

[Nath]

My understanding is that umami is that meaty flavor that comes from glutamates. The standard paprika available in the US doesn't seem to contribute much other than color, and I don't have much experience with European paprikas.

Smoked ingredients like your pimenton can also add a kind of depth to food, but I wouldn't call it 'meaty'. Some people use chipotle chiles (smoked jalapenos) to achieve this effect in chili. Last time I made chili, I used a few drops of liquid hickory instead.

[Telchar]

In chili I generally use chipotles in adobo sauce. And really more sauce than chilis.

Re:Umami: I guess I always thought of it as adding savory depth but your use seems more appropriate. I guess depth will have to do as a vague descriptor.

[meridian]

Spoiler:

Thrice-damned because you're damned when you make it, damned when you eat it, and damned when it comes out.

YOU WILL REQUIRE:

* ONE (1) LARGE MOTHER-FUCKIN' POT
* ONE (1) LARGE MOTHER-FUCKIN' SKILLET
* ONE (1) TO ONE AND A HALF (1.5) POUNDS OF YOUR FINEST GROUND BOVINE FLESH
* ONE (1) YELLOW ONION (DICED)
* ONE (1) TO THREE (3) GARLIC CLOVES (DICED FINELY)
* THREE (3) FRESH JALAPEÑOS
* TWO (2) 28 OZ CANS OF STEWED TOMATOES
* ONE (1) 28 OZ CAN OF DICED TOMATOES
* THREE (3) 19 OZ CANS OF BEANS, FUCK I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND DO I LOOK LIKE A BEAN-OLOGIST, OKAY FINE KIDNEY BEANS OR SOMETHING
* BLACK PEPPER
* CRUSHED RED PEPPER
* SALT
* CHILI POWDER
* GARLIC POWDER
* A GOOD BLENDER
* ONE (1) TO SIX (6) PIE-HOLES (TO SHOVE THE CHILI INTO, YOU INSUFFERABLE CHUCKLEFUCK)

Cut the tops off your jalapeños (pronounced 'jah-lap-enos' for all you yankee fucks); add to stewed tomatoes in your blender. BLEND THAT SHIT. Put it in your large mother-fuckin' pot. Add diced tomatoes to pot. Add (drained) beans to pot. Add garlic powder (to taste) to pot. Add crushed red pepper (to taste; I use several large pinches) to pot. Add chili powder (to taste; I use at least several tablespoons worth) to pot. Stir.

NOW SIMMER THAT SHIT.

Throw your ground bovine flesh into the large mother-fuckin' skillet. Start cooking and breaking it apart. Once the meat starts to brown, throw in your diced onion and finely diced garlic; cook (and stir) until meat is thoroughly brown (and onions are clear and lose their strong flavor). You want the meat to be as loose as possible, so chop and break up any chunks continuously. Add black pepper (to taste) and salt (to taste). Pour this into the large mother-fucking pot (greasy fat and all), then continue to simmer (covered). If you're simmering it right, the ingredients should eventually sink, leaving the top resembling a soup--if you simmer it a little too 'high', it will form a skin on top--just break the skin and turn it down a notch. Stir occasionally. Simmer for at least an hour.

NOW EAT THAT SHIT.

NOTES: I've replaced the beans with different things depending on what's available; I've used red kidney beans (favorite), white kidney beans (I like to mix these with the red), and even chick peas (interesting, although a bit firmer than I'd like). The stewed-versus-diced tomatoes is just for texture (I like some tomato chunks); using all stewed tomatoes (or all diced tomatoes) thoroughly blended doesn't seem to affect the flavor. I avoid tomato cans with lots of added ingredients (though a few, like garlic, celery, and green peppers, are fine). I'm sure you could do this with fresh tomatoes, I just find it more convenient to use canned ones. I've also used canned jalapeños with no discernible difference.

The 'hour simmer' part of the recipe seems to be incredibly important; I'm not sure why, but I've tried it both ways (simmered and unsimmered), and the latter ends up being very bland.

One final note--I've found storing this chili is a cinch, and when reheated, it's just as delicious as if it was fresh. You can freeze it with impunity, heat it back up in a pot, or a microwave--the latter is a little tricky (you'll have to nuke it, stir it, nuke it again, stir it, nuke it again...) but ends up just as good.

Suggestions for improving the recipe--experiments I could try, ways I could make it tastier, spicier, or more interesting--are more than welcome. I'm also interested in a meat-free version, though I'm wary of most meat-substitutes and I'd like to hear from people who know more about it than I do before I give anything a try.

I made this! It was great! I took pictures here! Some of the picture captions may note what I'm going to change next time, but the variations I made were simply to replace the beef with TVP.

Next time, I plan to make it all in a single pot (though I do love the taste of garlic and onions from the cast iron). I also plan to not rehydrate the TVP and to not run out of chili powder. I'm also considering throwing in some avocado because the lack of fat from the nonmeat made me sad.

[The EGE]

Why am I not in Boston anymore?

[meridian]

Why am I not in Boston anymore?

Seriously. I can't find anyone to eat it. Everyone's busy or gone or suffering from food issues that won't allow them to enjoy it. I'm going to get sick of the stuff eating it alone. (Well, maybe not sick of it... but darn near close.)

[The Great Hippo]

meridian: The picture link is not working! Also, all the stuff in this thread has given me tons and tons of ammunition to work with for my next round of chili. Should be interesting! I might give it a try right before D&D today, and stuff it down the faces of everyone here who plays!

[The EGE]

Why am I not in Boston anymore?

Seriously. I can't find anyone to eat it. Everyone's busy or gone or suffering from food issues that won't allow them to enjoy it. I'm going to get sick of the stuff eating it alone. (Well, maybe not sick of it... but darn near close.)

Stick it in the freezer. Does it last a month?

[meridian]

The EGE: I will freeze you a portion. It should last indefinitely in the freezer.

TGH:It is probably because you are not my G+ friend. I can email you permission (if you PM me your address), but I'm thinking of doing some tumblr thing. That should be freer to see. Actually, try the link above again. I think I fixed the sharing permissions.

[The Great Hippo]

That looks interesting--what's TVP, though? Also, I'm fascinated by how you seem to have the exact same blender that I do. Either that, or all blenders are the same (this is possible, my knowledge of blenders is low).

I made the chili again last night, for D&D; I added cayenne powder as well as basil, oregano, and just a smidge of cumin--the end result was intensely spicy, much more than I expected--I loved it, but it was way too much for our guests (all of whom are total frigging SPICE-CHUMPS). Next time, I'll cut out the cayenne pepper and see how it turns out.

Used a lot more garlic this time, too. Forget the worcestshire (sp?) sauce, though!

[dubsola]

How would you describe the flavor that paprika brings to a dish? My understanding of the word umami makes it seem appropriate but I'm open to my own misunderstanding.

I think umami is not too far away, also a smokiness. I guess it depends on the paprika. I only ever use the good stuff from Spain and it has a pretty distinctive flavour.

Hippo: cayenne pepper is a kind of chilli powder. Adding it on top of your already spicy stew would certainly wreak havoc. Don't worry too much about the worcester sauce (pronounced woostershire), it's definitely a backing track as opposed to a lead singer. I definitely think you should try doing it with some dark beer though. It's pretty good.