Tag Archives: entrees

Eating

Chili Con Carne

The good folks at Cook’s Illustrated say their Chili Con Carne serves six, but they are lying. If you make this, count on serving four and having enough left for tomorrow’s lunch. And you will want some tomorrow for lunch, because it’s so darn good. The following is the version I made, complete with tweaking. The original called for toasting and grinding the peppers, but I am lazy busy, so I just used the powder. And I only used one jalapeno rather than 5 because I’m a sissy.

Chili Con Carne
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons New Mexico chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano , preferably Mexican
7 1/2 cups water, divided
1 beef chuck roast (4-pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons table salt , plus extra for seasoning
8 ounces bacon (7 or 8 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño chile, cored, seeded, and minced
1 can tomato sauce
juice from 1 medium lime
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Mix chili powders, cumin, and oregano in small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup water to form thick paste; set aside. Toss beef cubes with salt; set aside.

Fry bacon in large, heavy soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; pour all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot into small bowl; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high; saute meat in four batches until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding additional 2 teaspoons bacon fat to pot as necessary. Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tablespoons bacon fat to now-empty pan. Add onion; saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chili paste; saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved bacon and browned beef, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, lime juice, and 7 cups water; bring to simmer. Continue to cook at a steady simmer until meat is tender and juices are dark, rich, and starting to thicken, about 2 hours.

Mix corn starch with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form smooth paste. Increase heat to medium; stir in paste and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning generously with salt and ground black pepper. Serve immediately, or preferably, cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.

In other news, Rockford got an email today from someone peddling The Cat Loft, which allows your furry friends have their very own space without infringing on your comfort. It’s a co-sleeper for cats. Which makes me giggle very much.

Eating, recipes

Delicious homecoming

We came home from our trip to Chapel Hill to a great dinner. Genia made short ribs, broccoli and corn on the cob. I would’ve taken a picture of the ribs, but I was too busy eating. You should make them so you can see just how attractive they are. Oh, and how oh-my-stars incredibly delicious.

Genia’s Short Ribs
Boneless short ribs
Cooking spray
Oil
Salt, cayenne and black pepper
Genia’s Awesome Day Barbecue Sauce
Spray steel skillet with cooking spray, and add a little oil. Sear ribs on all sides over high heat, seasoning with salt , cayenne and pepper.

Put ribs in the pressure cooker; deglaze pan with a little water, and pour broth over ribs. Cook at 10 pounds pressure for about 15 minutes.

Arrange ribs in a baking dish and spoon sauce on top. Cover with foil; bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, resauce and cook another 15-20 minutes (don’t replace foil).

Genia’s Awesome Day Barbecue Sauce
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Worstershire sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 cup beef broth (from pressure cooker after ribs are done)
Simmer until ribs are ready. Add 1 cup broth. Heat until bubbly.

You won’t be disappointed.

Eating, recipes

Hot hot hot

1 Comment

I’ve had “Cookwise” by Shirley Corriher on my Cookbooks I Want list for quite awhile. It’s as much cooking textbook as it is cookbook, but I’d been hesitant to buy it because of the price. Amazon has it now for $20, but I’m glad I held out. I found a copy at the flea market for $10.

Anyway, we tried a recipe out of it tonight: Hot Thai Curried Chicken with Coconut Milk and Avocados. Let me tell you, Shirley’s not kidding when she says this is hot. I cut the amount of curry paste by half, and holy Hannah it was warm. The taste was great, and I didn’t break a sweat eating it, but I think it would be a more pleasant experience with a little less heat. The following recipe cuts the amount of curry paste to what I’m guessing will be a manageable amount. I had to cook the chicken for longer than the recipe suggested, but I’ve left the suggested time in this version. Just check the chicken before you serve it up.

Hot Thai Chicken with Coconut and Avocado
Hot Thai Curried Chicken with Coconut Milk and Avocados
2 teaspoons oil
1-2 tablespoons curry paste
4 cans (13.5 ounces each) coconut milk
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 boneless chicken breast halves
2 avocados

  • Mash oil and curry paste together in a large wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons coconut milk and continue stirring to thin curry paste. Add more coconut milk and stir together well. When curry paste is well blended in, add the rest of the coconut milk and turn heat up to medium-high to bring to a boil. Add sugar and chicken broth. Boil vigorously for a minute, then turn down slightly to a gentle, steady boil to reduce. Boil gently, stirring frequently, and reduce to about 3 cups of noticeably thicker sauce. Even in a large wok, this reduction will take about 30 minutes — longer if you don’t keep it at a slow, steady boil.

  • Cut chicken breasts across the grain at a slight angle into 1/2-inch slices. When sauce is reduced, add chicken breast slices and bring back to a boil. Turn heat to medium, simmer 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Let stand uncovered in the hot wok about 4 minutes to finish cooking.

  • Meanwhile, peel and slice the avocados. Arrange the slices over the botton of a serving platter. Pour the chicken and sauce over the avocados. Serve hot over rice.