OK Here's my take on a good chili. Not to strong though.
1 pound of lean minced beef
1 diced onion
1-2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 chopped Habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper
Half a green and half a red bell pepper sliced
5 ounces of diced bacon (the good well smoked stuff. Not anything with artificial smoke flavor)
15 ounces of Kidney beans
Passata di Pomodorro
Oregano
Cumin
sugar
Start with the bacon in a pot and a little oil, I like using canola oil since it doesn't add flavors and can handle high heat. And it's also good for you. 8) When that has sweated down(but before it gets crunhy) add onion and garlic, and let it get soft before you take it out of the pot. Now add some more oil to the pot and sear of the mince. Depending on the size of the pot, you may have to do it in two portion, as we want the meat to fry, not boil.
Next we add the chopped chili as that needs to get some heat as well. Put the onion, bacon and garlic back in the pot, add the sliced bell peppers and the passata di pomodoro. Now the stuff we have over here is a little thicker than tomato juice, which is why I have not indicated and amount. Also you may like a chili thinner or thicker than me. I like it fairly thick though. Last step is oregano and cumin. Now this is also depending on taste, but about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cumnin and a generous amount of oregano, something like 2 - 3 tablespoons. Also add 1 - 2 teaspoons of sugar. Firstly it rounds the flavor of the whole chili, and secondly if you passata di pomodoro came in a can, sugar will help eliminate the metallic flavor it can have.
Damn......I almost forgot the beans. Add the kidney beans. You can use other beans, but I've always preferred these purple little protein gems.
Now you just need to let it slow cook for 2 hours or more. I usually let it cook for 4 hours, let it cool and stick it in the fridge, then cook it for another 2 hours before serving the next day. This stuff actually gets better the longer you keep it. :shock: I think the chili must be anti-septic.
Enjoy.
