Anders' Chili

Chili con Carne Anders' Way

A bowl of Chili. Soul food!

Chili con carne or "Chili" is one of my favourite meals and you can make it way ahead and even freeze for use later when company drops by.

Chili, or as it is called in Spanish "Chile con carne" actually means "peppers with meat".

My version of  Chili con carne is a bit different.

Here are the ingredients:

• 3 medium onions ( halved length wise then sliced ¼" or 1 cm thick)
• 3 large sausages, sliced ¼" thick ( I prefer "Harvest Double Smoked Farmer Sausage" from Yorkton, Saskatchewan)
• 6 thick slices of bacon, cut in to ½" (2 cm) pieces ( again I prefer the "Harvest Naturally Smoked" thick sliced bacon from Yorkton, Saskatchewan)
• 1.3 kg of ground beef
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbs of black crushed/ground pepper
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 - 540 ml (19 oz) cans of Kidney Beans
• 1 - 398 ml (14 oz) can of brown beans
• 1 - 796 ml (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 - 796 ml (28 oz) can of canned tomatoes
• 1 tbs of Niko Sauce (Japanese Teriyaki sauce made in Campbell River, BC), or use any teriyaki sauce.
• 1-2 tbs of Quebec Maple Syrup
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 3 tbs of butter
• 1 tbs of Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 tbs of Cayenne Pepper

In a  large sauce pan ( 6-8 liter), melt 1 tbs of butter, then add the chopped bacon, sliced sausages and the sliced onions. Saute for about 10 minutes under medium heat.

While cooking the onion mix, crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and black pepper. Beat for a minute then add the ground beef.

Using your hands, mix in the egg mixture well with the meat 3 - 5 minutes turning over and mixing well until there is no more signs of the egg mixture.

In a large frying pan, or a 3-4 liter sauce pan (if using a sauce pan, make sure the sides are not too high, or you will steam the meat) melt 2 tbs of butter and add the olive oil over medium to medium high heat.

Add some of the ground beef, about ¾ - 1" thick layer on the bottom of the pan, fry for about 3 minutes then divide the ground beef into 4 quarters (this makes it easier to flip), fry another 2 minutes or so then flip over.

Cook another 3-4 minutes until no longer pink inside. Then mash up, with a potato masher, or cut into small pieces with a spoon.  Make sure to leave some pieces that are at least 1" in diameter. I like some big chunks in my chili. Cook another minute, then tilt the pan and move the meat to one side to drain, then transfer to the large sauce pan with the onion mixture. Continue with the rest of the meat.

Add the kidney beans, brown beans, crushed tomatoes, canned tomatoes all into the large sauce pan with the onion mixture. While stirring, bring to boil, add the Niko Sauce, Maple Syrup, and simmer on low heat.

Once you have fried and added all the meat, it's time to add the hot stuff, the crushed peppers and Cayenne pepper. Try with a small amount first and see how you like it, remember, the spices have a tendency to get hotter as they simmer. You may like it spicier, or less then I have suggested.

I like this Chili to barely simmer on very low heat for 3-5 hrs to get all the flavours to mix.

Wine Pairing and Recommendations:

Alsace France

Town in Alsace France

Here is when I really enjoy a beer, like Sleemans Cream Ale, which is a medium bodied very well balanced ale. It is crafted in a true North American style. Got to love it.

As far as a wine, a Canadian white wine like a Gewurztraminer the Tinhorn Creek 2008 Gewurztraminer. This Gewurztraminer is a bit dryer then most, but never the less, goes great with spicy food.

If you can get your hands on a Gewurztraminer from the Alsace region in France, by all means go for it. Justin Boxler Winery in the village of  Niedermorschwihr has produced some exceptional white wines and an incredible Gewurztraminer

We traveled the Alsace region in May of 2008. It is one of the things you should put on your bucket list, if you have not visited this region before.

For a red wine, try a Australian Shiraz from Wyndham Estate, Bin 555, 2007 vintage. The 2007 harvest was smaller then usual due to very dry conditions which created smaller grapes with very concentrated colour and flavour plus distinctive tannins. Don't just buy a bottle, go for as many cases as you can afford.

Kiss the cook,

Anders