Chili Colorado

Chili is one of those dishes that everybody knows, but it varies by region. It can delight or disappoint depending on your expectations. This is why investing with a plan of what to expect is critical to your satisfaction.

With chili, as with barbeque, there is no right or wrong, but only what you like or don’t like.  What constitutes great chili really depends on the particular taste of the consumer. Some people like it hot. Some want a mild flavor. Others seek a complex cascade of flavors.

This simple recipe is easy to make. You can make it on the stove or transfer it to a crock pot after browning and assembling the other ingredients. The trick is getting the spice mix just right for your palate. I can tell you the ingredients, but you need to come up with the proportions that fit your taste. I provide the technique for finding your ideal proportion. Remember to record your measurements for your particular taste.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium chopped yellow onion
• 1 pound stew meat in hearty chunks with fat trimmed off
• ¾ finely chopped red bell, or sweet peppers
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14-16 oz.) or equivalent fresh tomatoes
• 1 can (14-16 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• ¼ to ½ jalapeno, or other hot chili pepper (fresh or dried)

Spices to Taste:

• Ancho chili powder
• Chipotle powder
• Cumin, or, if available, chopped fresh cilantro
• Celery Salt or plain table salt
• Ground Black pepper
• Lime Juice

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil, add onion and one pound of stew meat. Brown the meat. Add bell peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and unsweetened chocolate. Carefully add the hot chili pepper. Experiment. Do not add all at once. You can always add more, you can’t take away once it is added.

Start adding spices to taste, recording the measurement you add of each spice. Start with a quarter teaspoon and keep adding until each spice seems in balance with the others according to your own taste.

Cook on low heat for two or more hours or in crock pot on high for another four hours. The meat will become tender and the sauce will thicken as the vegetables cook down. This is great served with refried bean and tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and shredded lettuce.