- 3 lbs, Beef, cut in to small cubes: What I do when I bring meat back from Costco is cut it in to what ever size pieces I'll use it for then put it in to gallon size zip lock bags so I can stack them like sheets in my fridge for future use. Well, a gallon size zip lock bag sheet of beef turns out to be about 3 lbs of meat. I know because I used my trusty digital scale to measure it just now. :) I usually get two of these "sheets" out of the standard sized package of "stew meat" I get from Costco. Btw, "stew meat" is basically the cheapest cut you can get at Costco but it is in no way cheap meat. As a matter of fact, you'll realize while cutting it up in to small cubes that it's actually pieces of more expensive cuts of meat which didn't quite fit in to the proper size for those cuts. Good eats!
- 2 lbs, Pork, also cut in to small cubes: The situation is the same here as the beef accept that a sheet of pork usually comes out to about 2 lbs of meat for me. I usually get "country style ribs" for this. Again, the cheapest cut of pork you can get at Costco but it's one of the tastiest in my opinion. As a matter of fact, I've served this cut Korean BBQ style and my friends were very happy with it. Ironically it comes out sort of similar to "sahm gyup sahl" or three layer pork belly, a Korean favorite if you anything about Korean BBQ. Anyway, if you're interested in trying this meat Korean BBQ style, just buy some country style rib meat and just throw it on a griddle just like you would with any kind of Korean BBQ. Then, as it's customary in Korean cuisine, use a pair of scissors to cut the meat in to more easily edible slices. Serve with the usual Korean BBQ accoutrements like ssahm jahng(mixture of miso and gochu jahng, Korean pepper sauce), sliced garlic, some clean lettuce, and rice. Man, that's some good eats. Holy smokes! I should get back to listing ingredients here. hehe~. :D Btw, speaking of smokes, Korean "BBQ" is not barbecue but technically grilling but whatever... :p
- 2 lbs or 2 cans, Beans: What ever beans floats your boat will do. I prefer red or black beans for this.
- 2 to 3 Onions, chopped in to squares: I say 2 to 3 because onions come in all shapes and sizes and how much you put in here should really be up to you. I usually go with 2 onions if it's onions I bought from Costco which usually tends to be on the bigger side of the scale. Ones from the farmers or the supermarket tends to be a bit smaller. Like I said, put in 20 if you like onions. You're making it for yourself. Do what makes you happy! :D
- 1 head of Garlic: Yeah, you read it right. 1 HEAD, not 1 clove. Don't even worry about peeling it all nice. I just cut the head of garlic right down the middle and pop out the half cloves. I then either just crush it under the blade of my kitchen knife or just slice the half cloves in to simple slices. Done!
- 2 HEAPING table spoons full, Chili powder: It's basically ground red pepper powder with cumin but some of the other spices the manufacturers of these powders put in makes for a more rounded flavor then what can be easily made at home. Trust me, there is a certain pleasure in creating a rub or a Chili powder from scratch but not if you just want some good eats in a hurry. So, go with the powder. It's all good~. :)
- 2 tbsp, YOUR secret powder: Yup. I put in my "secret powder" in my Chili. Again, it's a hodge podge of flavors which adds to the complexity of the whole thing which is always a good thing. Just make sure your powder isn't mostly salt. More flavor is always welcome but saltiness is not.
-1 tbsp, Cumin: Like I said, there is already cumin in the chili powder but there is always room for more flavor, no?
-Some Ground Cayenne Pepper: I say some because this is where your personal tastes really comes in. It's pretty obvious the more you put in the hotter it will get. For me, one tbsp is just enough for me to feel a little something after a bowl of the stuff which is perfect for me. You might look at that and laugh, in which case more power to you. Go ahead and add more. :)
- 1/2 stick of butter and some flower, preferably in a shaker: This is for the roux. I'll explain in a minute why you want the flower in a shaker. :)
Oh, yeah, you're gonna need some oil to sauté with. Corn, sunflower, grape seed, whatever will do. Lets get to cooking.
1) First sauté the cubed meat in batches, making sure to get some "fond" on the pan by cooking the meat uncrowded in a hot enough pan to leave some browned bits behind. Put the cooked meat in to the pot which will eventually be used to boil the chili. Make sure the pot is big enough to hold everything with enough head room. :) Btw, why two kinds of meat? Well, I used to make it with just beef but this one time I didn't have enough beef so I substituted pork and I liked it better. I think you will too. :)
2) Once all the meat has been sautéed, turn down the heat, put some more oil in the pan, and "sweat", that's cooking jargon for "slowly brown", the onions and the garlic in the pan in batches if the need be. Stir frequently. You don't want to burn the onions, just brown it and garlic burns even faster so watch out. Add the cooked onions and garlic to the pot. Repeat until all the onions pieces and garlic are cooked.
3) Put the beans in to the pot. You can dump the liquid from the can as well if you like.
4) Pour enough water to cover everything in the pot plus about an inch of water on top. I told you you'll need some headroom~. :) Put over medium heat.
5) Now add the powdered ingredients in to the pot and stir well. Wait until it starts boiling then turn the heat down just a little more then let the ingredients simmer for the next 2-3 hours making sure to skim the "scum" off the top as the chili slowly cooks. I personally start making the roux to thicken the chili about 2 hours in to cooking time. Speaking of which...
6) Heat a flying pan over low to medium heat. Before the pan gets too hot, swirl the half stick of butter around in the pan melting it. Then, shake flower over the melted butter, not so much that the flower completely covers melted butter but instead the flower basically fries in the melted butter making it all bubble up. This is a work around I use to speed up the cooking of the roux. Traditionally, I'm suppose to mix the butter and the flower together then stir and stir away until it all cooks for 30 minutes or more. I don't have time for that so I use this method because at the end of the day what's important is that the flower granules are cooked. Frying flower granules I dropped in to oil using a flower shaker seems to accomplish this for me. Anyway, stir the mixture, shake more flower on the mixture, then stir some more until the whole thing becomes like a paste instead of bubbling oil. Make sure the pan is not too hot. You don't want to burn the flower. The roux should be brownish in color by the time you're done which is what you want.
7) Turn off the heat under the pan with the roux in it then pour the roux you just created in to the pot with the chili. Stir the roux in to the chili then continue simmering the chili for several more minutes. You should see the chili thicken right before your eyes as you stir it. Once the chili liquid no longer drips off your spoon like water but instead flows like, well, thickened sauces are supposed to, you're done! Yeepee! Time to eat! :D
The Chili should be good to eat as is but you couldn't go wrong by adding some cool sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and some chopped chives/green onions before serving. Yum, yum, yum! But, hey, don't take my word for it. Make some, have some, and let me know how well it turned out for you! Happy eating! :)
Oh, yeah. Feel free to let it cool down then put in to containers to freeze. My chili never lasts long enough for me to have to resort to freezing mine but I do heat mine up in the microwave before I eat'em. You might want to have a cover over the dish you heat the chili in. It will definitely boil and spot the inside of your microwave. :)
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