Winter warm-up: Chili recipes bring heat to cold-weather meals
Share this post:
There’s nothing like a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter day.
Not only is it filling and nutritious, but its spicy savor also provides the belly with a warm glow.
“We don’t even sell chili at all when the weather is warm, but it’s very popular at this time of year,” said Debbie Kakias, owner of G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift.
The reason for that? “It’s very hearty,” she said.
Pittsburgh-based Revival Chili food truck serves up the stick-to-your-ribs dish year-round.
“But there is something about that first real snow and the really cold temperatures that we are experiencing now that make people think of chili,” said Jordan Robarge, owner of the Revival Chili and Revival Pasta food trucks and Nancy’s Revival restaurant in Wilkinsburg.
[gps-image name=”4630592_web1_PTR-Chili-Revival-1.jpg”]
“Chili is versatile and it is such a great option for a meal, especially during January and February,” Robarge said.
Dwayne Pickels, who enjoys experimenting with all kinds of dishes in his Scottdale home, agrees.
“Chilies do seem to fit the autumn/winter moods better, but I can crave and consume them year-round,” said Pickels, grants director at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity.
Chili is a dish that can come together pretty easily.
“Most people have the basic ingredients in their homes,” Robarge said. “If they want to customize their chili, they can add the extras they like, from spices to beans to extra flavors like beer.”
Pickels works from his pantry when the urge for chili strikes.
“For most chilies, I do not follow a recipe. It’s usually just more fun to jump in and experiment,” he said. “Most often, it’s the standard beef (either ground or chunks of stew meat, cooked tender), and I add a large can of diced tomatoes and a large can of crushed tomatoes and one can each of dark red and light red kidney beans and a can of black beans.”
If he has corn on hand, he’ll toss some in for color, along with a small can of diced green chilies and one package of mild chili seasoning.
“I’m not a fan of the hot, spicy chilies,” he said.
Robarge says chili is a great dish for a party — something to think about as folks gather to watch NFL playoff games and the Super Bowl.
“Chili is such a shareable food,” he said.
With a pot simmering on the stove or in the slow cooker, the host can lay out an array of add-ins and sit down and watch the game as guests serve themselves.
At Revival Chili, the dish is designed to be served over homemade cornbread. Toppings include cheese, cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos and lime.
Tortilla chips or crackers can add some crunch. The dish also can be served over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes or on nachos, hot dogs or hamburgers.
Let your taste buds be your guide.
Choose your chili
While Kakias declined to share G&G’s chili recipe, she said it is the popular tomato-based, beef-and- bean variety.
Robarge said that classic option is his best-seller, too, but the business also makes chicken, vegan and spicy beer pork chili and experiments with other combinations throughout the year.
Here’s a primer on some popular types of chili, from tasteofhome.com:
• Chili con carne — Meaning “chili with meat,” and probably the most popular style. The dish consists of meat like beef, pork or venison combined with green or chili peppers, tomatoes, beans and onions.
• White chicken chili — Made with chicken, white beans and mild green chiles, it typically has less zing than other chili recipes. Its creamy base can be thickened with sour cream or white cheese.
• Vegetarian chili — Some vegetarian chili recipes add a wider variety of beans, like cannellini or black beans, along with meat substitutes like tofu or tempeh.
• Cincinnati chili (or Skyline chili) — a regional version popular in Ohio, it’s typically sweeter than traditional chili with the addition of cinnamon, chocolate and allspice, along with Worcestershire sauce. It’s served on a bed of cooked spaghetti.
• Texas chili — made without beans or tomatoes, this version contains beef cooked in a thick paste made from fresh of dried chile peppers.
• Turkey chili — a classic chili con carne made leaner by using ground turkey instead of beef.
• Chili verde — popular in the Southwest, especially New Mexico and Colorado, it’s usually made with pork, roasted green chiles, tomatillos, garlic, oregano and cumin.
Is your mouth watering yet? Here are a few recipes to satisfy your chili craving:
[gps-image name=”4630592_web1_gtr-chilirecipes2-011622.jpg”]
Revival Chili chicken chili
Ingredients
2 pounds ground chicken
1 large yellow onion
2 large bell peppers
2 large heirloom tomatoes
1 large bulb garlic
one 8-ounce can tomato paste
Olive oil
one 12-ounce can of your beer of choice
Your choice of other hot peppers
Your choice of spices (cumin, cayenne, chili powder and cinnamon recommended)
Directions
Dice the onions, peppers and garlic. Brown the chicken in a skillet. Cook the onions, peppers and garlic together in the same skillet with a little olive oil. Put the cooked meat and veggies into a medium-sized pot to start simmering.
Dice the tomatoes and add to the pot with all the juices. Let this heat up and simmer for approximately an hour (juices should start rising to the top). Add tomato paste to thicken or beer to thin the chili to your preferred consistency. Add preferred spices and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add more spices to taste and let them cook in (about 30 minutes).
When you are satisfied with the taste, the chili is ready to serve. Serve with rice, pasta, cornbread, mashed potatoes or another choice of carbs.
Chili con carne
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
one 16-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Optional: Sour cream and jalapeno slices
Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; crumble beef. Drain and set aside.
In the same pot, heat oil; saute onions until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the green pepper, salt, chili powder, bouillon, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring until combined.
Add tomatoes and browned beef. Stir in water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Add beans and heat through. If desired, top with sour cream and jalapeno.
Source: tasteofhome.com
Vegetarian chili
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large bell peppers, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (do not drain)
two 4-ounce cans roasted green chilies, undrained
three 15- to 15.5-ounce cans beans, such as pinto, black, kidney, cannellini or garbanzo, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
one 15-ounce can whole- kernel corn, drained
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion, bell peppers, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and stir to coat veggies. Add the tomatoes and their juices, green chiles, beans and 1 cup of broth. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat as needed and simmer uncovered until the chili thickens to your liking, 30 to 40 minutes. If you prefer a looser chili, add up to 1 cup more broth. Add the corn and stir to combine.
Serving suggestions: sliced avocado, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro leaves and tender stems, pickled red onion, sliced jalapeno, sliced radishes.
Source: thekitchn.com
Cincinnati chili
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 quart water, or amount to cover
2 onions, finely chopped
one 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ of a 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup chili powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
1 bay leaf
Directions
Place the ground beef in a large pan, cover with about 1 quart of cold water and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef with a fork to a fine texture. Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat and refrigerate in the pan overnight.
The next day, skim the solid fat from the top of the pan and discard. Place the beef mixture over medium heat and stir in the onions, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cloves, allspice berries and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.
Source: allrecipes.com
Texas chili
Ingredients
2 large onions, diced
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 pounds ground chuck or venison
1 tablespoon table salt
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
one 6-ounce can tomato paste
one 12-ounce can amber ale beer
2 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour)
Directions
Saute diced onions in hot oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, 7 minutes or until translucent. Add minced garlic and saute 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven; return beef to Dutch oven.
Stir in salt, ancho chile powder, ground cumin and paprika; cook 2 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add ¾ cup beer and 1 cup water; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ¾ cup beer and ½ cup water; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add masa, cook 10 minutes. Add additional water to reach desired consistency.
Source: southernliving.com
Staff writer JoAnne Klimovich Harrop contributed to this story.