National Chili Day - Recipes & Reviews

  I celebrate National Chili Day big time. I make my own and I get it from a can -- it's all good. And click on any recipe name or review to see the original blog post.

Of course, Homemade Chili is the best (click here for tasty text and yummy photo illustrations.) I like to use a cheap cut of beef called Beef  Shank. It's a tough cut of beef so you do have to cook it for 2 or 3 hours, but that's okay as the flavor just intensifies over time. You can make Chili with ground beef and even ground chicken or turkey. 

The overriding flavor of typical Beef Chili is from red chile peppers. They come dried whole, ground into powder, or as a sauce in a can (often known as Enchilada Sauce.) It is easiest to use ground chili powder. 

Click on any photo to see larger.

In the video below check out how I make my Homemade Beef Chili. It's quite simple to do really, all the ingredients are dried or from the can, and the recipe is even easier and quicker if you use ground beef instead of beef shank. 

Beans or not to include beans, that is the Chile dilemma. Chili fanatics are divided, but I can swing both ways! 

You slow simmer Chile with pinto beans or red beans. For my recipe of Homemade Chili With Beef & Beans, I use pinto beans. Go ahead click here and dig in.

Is a Sloppy Joe, made with Chili? It has the same ingredients, just not cooked as long until mushy. My Sloppy Joe recipe is chunkier and slightly sweeter than a typical Chili, but almost the same and delicious.

How does meatless Chili hold up? Check out my review of this cheap$kate frozen fare by clicking here, A hint -- it's pretty good!

Here is a couple of Cheap$kate Chile Recipes. Click on any recipe name to be directed to my original blog post. First up is Quick White Bean & Chicken Chili. The two main ingredients are from the can.

The next quickie recipe is Turkey & Black Bean Chili. This time I use ground turkey and a can of black beans.

My favorite sports food is a greasy and sloppy Chili Dog. First, steam the weiners then heat the Chili. I also set out the buns and all condiments so my game buddies can make their own. Kick it up a notch with chopped onion, relish, and shredded cheddar cheese.

I confess I like Chili from the can. Lately, I've found canned all-meat Chili from my local Dollar Tree for $1.25 and it is fine for a hot dog on game day. I've not had a bad can yet. I've tried a few brands and even Vegan Chili from the can is quite tasty, If the Chili is watery, then cook it uncovered and let the liquid reduce by half, that outta do it. 

I like my basic Hot Dog with mustard and chili. See my Chili Dog recipe video below - nothing to it.

A more extreme Hot Dog recipe is combining Sauerkraut and Chili, it's so sour and beefy-rich. It's not for everyone, but I dig it.

I have favorite local fast-food joints that feature Beef Chili in their hamburgers, or hot dogs. If you live in Los Angeles for any length of time you have tried an Original Tommy's Hamburger. It is a great burger, simply delicious - nothing to it, just a Chili Burger. 

What's unique about a Tommy Burger is a thick slice of tomato and, of course, Chili. The Chili is thick and meaty, and a great contrast when they include a sweet tomato slice, sour mustard, and pickles. I have to add a creamy smear of mayo to my order.

The majority of Chili is made with red chiles, but bright green chiles make a tasty one, too. I have a quick Chicken in Green Chile Verde anyone can easily make. I use green Enchilada Sauce from the can. It's a yummy change of pace.

 

HomemadeTexas-Style Beef Chili - Video Recipe

The heck with canned chili, my HomemadeTexas-Style Beef Chili is the best way to go. This is an "even better the next day" recipe.

Texas-Style Beef Chili is a Southern staple especially when you are in cattle country. Pull into any truck stop or BBQ joint and you'll find it. Sometimes it's fiery spicy, so make sure to get a tall glass of iced tea.

My favorite version is a chunky and stringy type of Chili you can really sink your teeth into. You get that texture from cheaper cuts of beef steak. It is okay to use ground beef of course.

Click on any photo to see larger.

I've been cooking with beef shank lately. I first tried this cut of beef in an Italian classic pasta dish called Pasta Alla Genovese (just click here to see that recipe.) It is quite lean but in need of braising for a couple hours to break it down into tender bites.

My local Latin market stocks whole sliced shanks for less than three dollars per pound - now that's even cheaper than ground beef these days. The large packages of the beef shank are in the 5-7 pound range. 

For my recipe, you will need 2-3 pounds of meat. Of course, add as much beef as you like to suit your budget. Any leftover meat from a large package freezes well.

Any slabs of chea$kate and tough cuts of beef will tenderize using my slow-braising technique.

The main broth comes from tomato sauce. You can use any type, even canned chopped, or whole tomatoes. There is less work using tomato sauce. Whole or chopped tomatoes will need to be broken apart during the cooking process. 

Canned tomato sauce is cheap anywhere you buy them. Canned tomato sauce labeling is a little confusing as a regular can size is sometimes listed as 14.5 ounces. My recipe calls for 2 cans. If you are in the range of 30 ounces that's close enough. 

All the dried spices for this recipe are easy to get at budget prices.  The main flavor is from dried chiles. You can get them whole in a bag, but there is a bit of work to shake out the seeds and remove stems. I like Chile Powder for its convenience. You can substitute powdered Paprika. 

Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Dried Oregano add a depth of flavor to the Beef Chili. Cumin is a strong spice so I only use a teaspoon.

Go ahead and use dried onion and garlic instead of fresh chopped. While in most cases fresh is best, for slow-cooking you will not notice much difference and it's so much easier using dried.

For the slow-cooking phase, I didn't brown the beef in the beginning because toward the end of simmering the sauce thickens and over time the meat will brown naturally. You can brown the beef first if you like.

All I do is slice up the beef and assemble the ingredients in a large pot, then cover and simmer until the meat is tender. This is an easy recipe anyone can make.

Toppings for your steaming bowl of meaty Chili can include raw chopped onion and shredded cheese, especially sharp cheddar cheese.

A Tex-Mex version has a scoop of Fritos Corn Chips out of the bag. I know it sounds weird, but the extra salty fried corn chip crunch kicks this lowdown cowboy cuisine into high gear. Go ahead and get a small bag of Fritos (I like the lightly salted variety) and see what I'm talking about.

The aroma of my slow-cooking HomemadeTexas-Style Beef Chili will draw a crowd. So keep the doors and windows closed if you don't want unwanted visitors! Hey, add an extra pound of beef and this recipe will feed a family plus friends, so don't be stingy  -- go ahead and throw a Chili Party and invite the neighbors. And don't forget to get a large bag of Frito Corn Chips.

 HomemadeTexas-Style Beef Chili - Video

Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 54 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• Beef Shank - 2 to 3 pounds - Beef Shank has bone and extra fat, so you need a bit more, depending on how lean the beef is. You can use any cheap cut of beef on sale, bone and all - hey, that's extra flavor. Okay to use 2 pounds of a lean cut of beef like top round, stew meat, and sirloin. Okay to use 2 pounds of ground beef.
• Tomato Sauce - 2 cans 16 ounces each. Okay to use a large 1 pound,  12 ounce can. You can use canned whole tomatoes, any pasta tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes. Also one small can of tomato paste (just add 4 cups of water or broth with tomato paste.) Canned tomatoes come in regular sizes from 14.5 ounces to 16 ounces, either can is close enough.
• Chili Powder - 2 tablespoons. Okay to substitute with dried paprika.
• Cumin - 1 teaspoon
• Onion Powder - 2 tablespoons. Okay to use one whole chopped onion.
• Garlic Powder - 2 tablespoons. Okay to use 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped garlic.
• Oregano - 1 tablespoon dried. Okay to use 1 tablespoon of the fresh herb.
• Water - 2 cups
• Red Wine - 1 cup. Okay to use your favorite broth instead or add water.
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions

Slice beef into chunks. The beef will break down during slow cooking, so okay to have large pieces. After a couple of hours, you should be able to start to break apart the beef into smaller pieces.

In a large pot add beef over medium to high heat. 

Pour in canned tomato sauce. Okay to use any type of canned tomato. Tomato chunks will break down after a few hours of simmering. You can break them apart further the longer Chili cooks.

 Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of wine (or substitute the wine with broth or just more water.)

Finally add dried oregano and dried spices including chili, onion, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Stir ingredients.

(If you cannot find Chili Powder, it's okay to use a can of Enchilada Sauce or Red Chili Sauce.)

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat until a low simmer. Cover and cook until beef is tender, usually about 3 to 4 hours.

Check water levels after an hour or two. It's okay for some liquid to cook out so the sauce will thicken. Just don't let it cook away. Stir occasionally as the meat may stick to the bottom of the pot. 

If Chili is too watery it's easy enough to uncover and cook away some liquid to thicken the sauce to your liking. You can also add a little water if the Chili is too thick.

When done remove bones and any chunks of fat if necessary. If the beef is very fatty it's okay to remove some before starting the recipe, but do leave a little fat as that is extra flavor!

If you use ground beef you can reduce cooking time to a couple of hours as the meat will tenderize quickly. 

Of course, let the Ground Beef Chili cook as long as you like. Chili is the kind of stew you can keep on the stovetop slow-cooking for hours.

I like to serve a bowl of Beef Chili with chopped onion, and sometimes a bit of grated Cheddar cheese. Cooked rice is a filling addition, too.

My HomemadeTexas-Style Beef Chili will freeze well and reheat later, so you can make Chili Dogs or Chili Burgers on any game day down the road.

National Chili Day - Recipes & Reviews

 I celebrate National Chili Day big time. I make my own and I get it from a can -- it's all good. And click on any recipe name or review to see the original blog post.

Of course, Homemade Chili is the best. I like to use a cheap cut of beef called Beef  Shank. It's a tough cut of beef so you do have to cook it for 2 or 3 hours, but that's okay as the flavor just intensifies over time. You can make Chili with ground beef and even ground chicken or turkey. 

The overriding flavor of typical Beef Chili is from red chile peppers. They come dried whole, ground into powder, or as a sauce in a can. It is easiest to use ground chili powder. 

Click on any photo to see larger.

In the video below check out how I make my Homemade Beef Chili. It's quite simple to do really, all the ingredients are dried or from the can, and the recipe is even easier and quicker if you use ground beef instead of beef shank. 

Beans or not to include beans, that is the Chile dilemma. Chili fanatics are divided, but I can swing both ways! 

You slow simmer Chile with pinto beans or red beans. For my recipe of Homemade Chili With Beef & Beans, I use pinto beans. Go ahead click here and dig in.

Is a Sloppy Joe made with Chili? It has the same ingredients, just not cooked as long until mushy. My Sloppy Joe recipe is chunkier and slightly sweeter than a typical Chili, but almost the same and delicious.

How does meatless Chili hold up? Check out my review of this cheap$kate frozen fare by clicking here, A hint -- it's pretty good!

Here is a couple of Cheap$kate Chile Recipes. Click on any recipe name to be directed to my original blog post. First up is Quick White Bean & Chicken Chili. The two main ingredients are from the can.

The next quickie recipe is Turkey & Black Bean Chili. This time I use ground turkey and a can of black beans.

My favorite sports food is a greasy and sloppy Chili Dog. First, steam the weiners then heat the Chili. I also set out the buns and all condiments so my game buddies can make their own. Kick it up a notch with chopped onion, relish, and shredded cheddar cheese.

I confess I like Chili from the can or box. Lately, I've found canned all-meat Chili from my local Dollar Tree for a buck (lately the prices have risen to $1.25) and it is fine for a hot dog on game day. I've not had a bad can yet. I've tried a few brands and even Vegan Chili from the can is quite tasty, If the Chili is watery, then cook it uncovered and let the liquid reduce by half, that outta do it. 

I like my basic Hot Dog with mustard and chili. See my Chili Dog recipe video below - nothing to it.

A more extreme Hot Dog recipe is combining Sauerkraut and Chili, it's so sour and beefy-rich. It's not for everyone, but I dig it.

I have favorite local fast-food joints that feature Beef Chili in their hamburgers, or hot dogs. If you live in Los Angeles for any length of time you have tried an Original Tommy's Hamburger. It is a great burger, simply delicious - nothing to it, just a Chili Burger. 

What's unique about a Tommy Burger is a thick slice of tomato and, of course, Chili. The Chili is thick and meaty, and a great contrast when they include a sweet tomato slice, sour mustard, and pickles. I have to add a creamy smear of mayo to my order.

The majority of Chili is made with red chiles, but bright green chiles make a tasty one, too. I have a quick Chicken in Green Chile Verde anyone can easily make. I use green Enchilada Sauce from the can. It's a yummy change of pace.