My Family's Chili

Growing up, I remember cooking being a shared task between my mom and dad. Each had their own dishes that only they could rock and was therefore always in charges of. Among my dad's dishes was his chili. Oh his chili....... Over the last few years, I have honed in on what makes his chili better than anyone else's and I think I have come pretty darn close to matching it. I'd be willing to take on Bobby Flay in case anyone has him on speed dial and wants to see a Throwdown. LOL

Of course I add in my own flare every now and then to make it my own but the underlying taste is pretty much just like his. Even though he'll probably never read this, thanks Dad for showing me how to make a mean pot of chili (that inevitably won me the heart of Shawn lol). I hope I won't be shunned for sharing this recipe with the world (ok...maybe not the world but still....)

I will warn you ahead of time...I am HORRIBLE at gauging what I put in so you may end up with two pots. But really, our family motto is "there's never too much chili". For the readers, I have tried my best at reducing the ingredients to just make one pot.

Gould Family Chili

2 - 14.5 oz cans Tomatoes, Diced (I like to get seasoned ones but its a preference, really)

1 - 14.5 oz can Tomato Sauce

2 cans Dark Red Kidney Beans, (not sure on the weight but same size can as the tomatoes), rinsed and drained

1 can Chili Beans

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 pound Ground Beef (I prefer 80/20 in my chili)

1 medium to large Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 small White Onion, diced

2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1-2 jalapeno pepper, sliced (depending on how spicy you like it)

Water

Chili Powder

Paprika

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

Dried Minced Onion

1) In a skillet on medium heat, cook your beef until it starts to produce a good amount of grease. Dump the grease and add a healthy dose of chili powder and cook until no longer pink. I break it up but not too much. Its nice to have some chunk-age in your chili lol.

2) Meanwhile, put the pot that you'll be cooking your chili in on medium heat and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans. Do not drain/rinse the chili beans. Bring this to a boil and add the beef when its done cooking.

3) In the skillet you used for the beef, put 1 T of reserved grease and add the white onion and green pepper. Sauté until the veggies are crisp but not raw, maybe 5-6 minutes. Halfway through, add the garlic and jalapeno. Slice the jalapeno in half lengthwise (from stem to bottom), seed it, then cut in thin slices and add it to the green pepper/onion mixture. Season this mixture with some salt and pepper and add it to the pot with the tomatoes and such.

4) Now for the tricky part. Add your seasonings to taste. I don't measure them, I used taste as my measuring spoon. Go healthy with it. These seasonings will give your chili the depth of flavor and the rich color. If I had to guess - I would say I start with about 5-6 T of chili powder, 3-4 seconds of shaking of the other seasonings. I know I know....I apologized in the beginning for this part. It really is all taste.

5) Once all the seasonings are in the pot and the chili has began to boil, turn the heat down a bit, cover and allow it to cook 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure you don't burn it. You'll want the chili to be thick but not THICK. Add water little by little to get the right consistency. Don't make it too soupy though. That's a big NO NO.

The flavor of the chili drastically changes the longer its cooked. We don't eat the chili right away. I'll get it all cooking around 9am and we'll eat it for dinner that night. And keep tasting it as you go and add seasonings as you need to. I guess its good to start off light until you know where your flavor preference lands.

I love to garnish mine with some sour cream and cheddar cheese while Shawn likes his plain.

**Note, if you find that the chili is too spicy, add a little drop of honey to mellow the heat out. Taste and repeat until its just right. This works on all dishes, not just chili. If you find that its not spicy enough ADD ANOTHER JALAPENO!!!

If you get bored with having the same thing for dinner, try these variations that we are rather fond of:
Chili Mac

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Chili and Cheese Nachos

Chili Cheese Burritos
Taco Salad

(I will update this with a picture when I get home tonight)