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My "secrets" for a decent pot of chili...
K Frame:
First off, I'll admit that I was never very good at making chili. I always tried to do my own spices, and I was always disappointed. I finally started using the seasoning packets that you get at the grocery store, and that made things a lot better. Or at least a lot more consistent. But, over the past couple of years I've discovered a few other tricks, that in combination, really help to up the enjoyability for me...
1. Soak your own beans. Canned beans are convenient, but they don't have nearly the flavor of beans that you soak overnight, and beans you cook yourself add a lot of texture you don't get with canned beans.
2. Cook your beans BEFORE you add them to your chili. The acid in the tomatoes can make it very difficult, if not impossible, to get the beans soft if you try to cook the soaked beans with the chili.
3. Sear the living *expletive deleted*it out of your meat to brown it. That brown stuff is flavor.
4. Do the same thing with your onions. Get some caramel color in them.
5. If you think you're using enough garlic, you're not using enough. Trust me on this. More is better!
6. Be careful with the garlic. Throw it in with the meat/onions mix, but make sure it doesn't burn. Burned garlic is nasty.
7. After you've got the meat/onions/garlic cooked, add a cup or more of a hearty red wine. I prefer Malbec. It doesn't have to be expensive. Cook it until the wine is almost gone, then add the rest of your ingredients.
8. Don't be afraid to add two of the spice packets, and additional spices from your cabinet.
I've slowly put that together over the past couple of years, and it's the Malbec I use that was the final piece of the puzzle for making chili that I like.
zxcvbob:
Try using dried peppers instead of chili powder. (you'll also need a little cumin and oregano) The varieties to look for are ancho, guajillo, and New Mexico. Guajillo and New Mexico are interchangeable but slightly different. I don't think there's any substitute for ancho.
K Frame:
Tried using dried peppers. Still wasn't happy with the outcome. That's when I started using the premixed seasoning packets. That gave me results a lot closer to what I wanted.
Brad Johnson:
A) Beans in chili? Them's fightin' words! Yer probully wunna them folks who likes sweet cornbread.
B) Try finishing it with a healthy splash of heavy cream. Not sure how to describe what it does, it's just... better. You can substitute a big dollop of sour cream for a little extra zing.
Brad
Fly320s:
My secret to good chili? Make this: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/ryders-turkey-chili-recipe-2103705
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