Bourbon Chili

[Newtricks]

2 lbs fresh ground beef, browned in olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
8 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 C. chopped flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp each dried Marjoram & oregano
1 Tbsp each allspice, coriander & cumin, toasted in a dry pan and ground
ground ancho, cayenne, and chipotle pepper to taste
Smoked Spanish paprika, also to taste
1 28oz can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

Heat a large pot over medium high heat, brown the meat in olive oil in small batches so as to not over crowd the pot, drain and set aside.
Pour fat out of pan add olive oil, onion and celery cook until well browned, add garlic and parsley and cook until the garlic is fragrant (about a minute), add this to the beef and set aside, deglaze the pot with 1C (I use Knob Creek) bourbon and cook until it has been reduced by half before pouring the bourbon into the beef mixture.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl, add 1/4 C. bourbon to the tomato can and rinse it out, into the bowl. Crush the tomatoes in hand, be sure to hold them under the liquid or you will be wearing tomato on your shirt (I know this for fact), if you taste the tomatoes at this point you will be put off because of the raw bourbon flavor, it needs to cook down.

Combine the tomatoes with the beef mixture, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, adding liquid as needed. At this point there's plenty of bourbon flavor in the chili, I use water or a bit of dry red wine.

I season (salt & pepper) as I go, meaning the beef is seasoned as it cooks, the veg gets seasoned as it cooks then check the seasoning just before serving. I serve this over spaghetti or with cornbread.

 

[ratssass]

...sounds great!!I know its a "yankee thing",but i like chile with beans...

 

[Newtricks]

i like chile with beans...

I like chili with beans too, that's the way I make it most of the time. Had 2lbs beef fresh ground two days ago that need to be used, hadn't soaked beans of any sort so it was Texas style chili today. It eats really good... Prefect for filing a bowl and topping with grated cheddar and onion, needs to be thinned a bit for pasta, I'd recommend using the pasta water to thin it, a little bit of starch from the wheat used in the pasta goes a long way.

 

[Tiller]

Want to know a great topping? Pickled jalapeños. They are seriously delicious and the perfect thing to put in chili.

 

[ratssass]

...jalapenos are getting alot like bacon around here.Not much they can't improve!!

 

[Newtricks]

Want to know a great topping...

Do not want to be rude... but your avatar reminds me of a 70's Doctor Who.















e

 

[Newtricks]

Are you the Doctor?

 

[Steve5D]

I seem to recall Knob Creek being somewhat sweet. Is that apparent in the chili?

 

[Tiller]

Are you the Doctor?

 

[Newtricks]

I seem to recall Knob Creek being somewhat sweet. Is that apparent in the chili?

Actually more of the bitter from the barrels comes out, a pinch of sugar helps to balance that.

 

[robbins.photo]

Celery? In Chili? Wow.. that almost borders on blasphemy.. lol

 

[table1349]

Celery? In Chili? Wow.. that almost borders on blasphemy.. lol

Well what do you expect, it's a Californiee version of chili. Surprised it hasn't got Tofu in it. :lmao:

Toss some carrots in and you would have a nice Mirepoix for a starter.

 

[snowbear]

My lovely wife tosses a little cocoa in her chili.

And cinnamon in her spaghetti sauce.

 

[ratssass]

i've heard of throwing in a chunk of unsweetened chocolate.never tried it

 

[limr]

I've done cinnamon in spaghetti sauce before. I got tired of it though and haven't done it in years.

And I'm totally blasphemous and have only beans in my chili (since I don't eat meat other than some fish on occasion.) Will definitely be putting some bourbon in my next batch. I can't use Knob Creek, though, sorry. I need that for the after-dinner Manhattans But no bar pour, either. I'd probably use Rebel Yell.