There are many occasions throughout the year that are perfect for a great bowl of chili; getting together to watch the game on TV, after skiing or any winter activity or just because we love chili!  This time of year, chili is the perfect meal to come home to after weathering winter’s chill.  At Glutenfreeda, we have many great chili recipes in our archives ranging from Texas to Cincinnati style, with and without beans and with various types of meat or poultry.  

The perfect pot of chili can be made from many different ingredients but generally they are all similar in categories of ingredients and in preparation.  We invite you to experiment with your own ‘signature’ chili recipe and to get you started, we’ve grouped types of ingredients to choose from that will give your recipe its own special touch.

Three Meat Chili

Meats

The first step in any chili recipe is to create a great base.  Most chili recipes are meat based, but you can prepare a chili without meat.  For our purposes we’ll talk about chili with meat.  The most common meat choices are ground beef, beef chuck roast (cut into 1/2" pieces), pork shoulder or butt (cut into 1/2" pieces), or even ground or diced chicken or turkey.  To create a great base, season the meat with salt and pepper then heat a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add enough oil to coat bottom and when hot, add just enough meat to cover a single layer of the pot.  Let the meat brown without stirring until nicely browned on the bottom then toss to brown on all sides.  Remove meat from the pot and continue with remaining meat until all is browned.  This will not only sear the meat but will also create delicious browned bits in the bottom of the pot that will become the base of the chili.

Beans or No Beans

When most people think of chili they think of chili with beans, however chili really refers to a pot of simmered meat with onions, garlic and chili seasonings.

Dry or Canned

If you do decide to include beans with your chili, your first choice is to choose dried or canned beans.  We have made many chilis with both dried and canned beans and although dried beans are less expensive, there is not much difference in taste or the end result.  Dried beans must be soaked overnight and cooked until they are soft.  Canned beans simply need to be drained and rinsed then added to the pot 30 minutes before serving.

The most common beans used in chili are red kidney beans but you can use almost any type of beans.  White beans, pinto beans, black beans are all great in chili and add interest and nuances in taste.

The Sauce

The liquid for your chili is also a matter of taste and preference, but is generally comprised of one or more of the following ingredients.

• gf beef stock
• gf chicken stock
• tomato sauce
• canned roasted tomatoes
• canned crushed tomatoes
• gf beer
• bourbon or other hard alcohol
• pepsi or coke
• wine

Chili with Beer

Flavoring and Spices

The second step to making a great pot of chili is to brown onions and garlic in the pot after the meat has been removed, scraping up the browned bits.  Then comes your creativity!  The great thing about chili is that it’s easy to create interesting flavor combinations and almost impossible to ruin the taste.  The following are some flavor and spice ideas:

• chili powder
• cumin
• paprika
• ground coriander
• ground allspice
• dried oregano
• ground cinnamon
• ground cloves
• grated nutmeg
• bay leaf
• molasses
• cocoa powder
• brown sugar
• dried thyme
• cilantro

Heat

This is what separates the women from the girls.  How much heat is in your chili is a matter of preference.  Rule of thumb is to slightly under-heat your chili as you can always make it hotter but it’s not so easy to take the ‘heat’ out.  The following are some of our favorite heat adding ingredients!

• ancho chiles
• canned diced green chiles
• fresh Serrano chile
• chipotle hot sauce
• fresh jalapeno pepper
• cayenne pepper
• red pepper flakes

Mix almost any combination of the above ingredients and the result will be a terrific pot of chili!  Don’t forget to serve grated cheddar cheese and chopped onions along side!

Below are some of our favorite chili recipes:

Cincinnati Chili
A Man’s Chili
Texas Bean Chili
Hurricane Chili
Three Meat Chili
Chili with Beer

- Chef Yvonne

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