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Chili For A Crowd

This recipe makes 2 to 3 gallons of a thick, "general use" chili that can be mild enough for most everyone. Remember that refrigerating or freezing and reheating will concentrate the spices; if you must have it HOT, take out a portion at the tasting stage and adjust it to your personal pain level (make sure you keep track of which batch is which !).

The meat quantity shown is AFTER it's been trimmed of excess fat and any membrane. I like to mix beef with pork, sometimes lamb and turkey - beef chuck takes the most trimming, but stays moist; top round or pork loin is less work; all pork or turkey will get too dry and tough. Be careful of too lean a meat to avoid the only hazard with this recipe, meat too dry and chewy. With this in mind, I don't squeeze when draining the veggies - just pour off excess liquid.

8 - 10 lbs meat, cut into large-bite size (don't be "lady-like" with the chunks - small pieces will turn to leather)

Flour as needed, and enough oil to brown with

8 - 10 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped

2 heads garlic (yes - that's HEADS, not cloves !), crushed

1 ea. 28 oz can of whole (drain liquid) or crushed (use as is) tomatoes

2 ea. 28 oz cans of cactus tenders (may be called "nopalitos"), drained (an important ingredient; adds a green veg and vitamin A to the dish)

2 ea. 16 oz cans of whole-kernel corn, drained

8 Tbsp chili powder, mild or medium

8 tsps oregano

8 tsps cocoa (unsweetened baking cocoa, not "hot chocolate")

6 tsps ground cumin (do NOT add extra without tasting, this stuff is strong)

6 tsps salt

4 tsps pepper sauce - red or green

4 - 8 chili peppers, to start

2 ea. 16 oz cans dark red kidney beans (optional)

Flour the meat and sear/brown in minimum oil in batches in a separate skillet. Don't stir the meat - just turn it as each side gets seared. You want to get dark, crusty bits on the meat and the bottom of the pan, and this is too much to do in one batch, in the bottom of your large stew pot. As each batch is browned, transfer to a big pot - don't forget the scrapings from the skillet each time. Sweat the onions and garlic (probably also in a couple batches) in minimum oil, then add that, plus everything else EXCEPT the corn and the beans, to the big pot. Bring it slowly to a boil, then drop the heat to a very low simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Taste and adjust at this point. Add peppers for spicy or earthy (you do NOT have to use the seeds - it's the flesh that has flavor; the seeds are the hot !); cactus or tomatoes to calm it down; cumin for a more "smoky" flavor; cocoa (before salt) to bring up the flavor of the meat, etc. When satisfied, add the corn (and the beans, if you really must) and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Notes on chili peppers - I like New Mexico and Ancho for mild; Habenero for medium, and De Arbol for hot. Mixing peppers gives great flavor. Don't be fooled, though it takes only one skinny, short De Arbol pepper to balance the taste of one huge New Mexico chili - it's not a "volume" thing, but a "by count" technique. If you can get fresh chili, skewer them and roast over a burner until the skin splits; if you have dried chili, soak in just enough water (and maybe a little vinegar) to cover until they are pliable - they will not re-constitute to their original form, so don't wait. I throw that soak water into the chili.

Learn more about this author, Steve Spongberg.
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