cynthia kim Food…and Other Such Things

Wow, it’s been awhile since my last recipe post! I had to dust off my camera bag (literally), and I realized that I forgot everything (what little I know) about how to use one! Nonetheless, here is my attempt to get another recipe post to you. This time it was super easy, because I didn’t do the cooking and shooting. My hubby loves making chili, so I just watched (through the camera lens). It’s so much easier that way! Wonder if he’ll be open to the idea of making that a habit…

Here’s a plus: this chili con carne is totally guilt-free! Depending on the meats you use (I used extra lean meats), you got yourself a low-carb (no beans), low-fat chili without compromising taste at all. And it’s easy!

MK’s Chili Con Carne

Ingredients

• variety of chili peppers of your choice (jalapeños, serrano peppers, Anaheim peppers, habanero if you dare, etc…)
• 1-1 1/2 lb. 95% lean ground beef
• 1-1 1/2 lb. extra lean sirloin chunks for stew
• 15 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp cayenne
• 3 tbsp cumin
• 3 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 bottle or can dark beer
• 1 big can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
• diced red or white onion
• fresh basil leaves torn (optional)

Instructions

Chop chili peppers into bite-size pieces. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or pot. Brown the beef chunks and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in whole garlic cloves. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add chopped peppers, and stir to mix. Add dry spices and beer. Stir to mix evenly. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and continue to stir. Let chili cook on very low heat for at least four hours before serving. Upon serving, top with shredded cheese and diced onions. Garnish with fresh torn basil leaves.

Pick and choose whatever peppers you fancy. We usually just buy a variety of whatever is on sale at the moment.

Chop them into pieces, not too big, not too small. No need to be pretty here.

Heat some olive oil, and brown the beef chunks. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

Toss in as many garlic cloves your heart desires. And my heart desires a lot. I think my hubby added more after this photo was taken.

Then add the ground beef, and cook until almost fully cooked.

Add all of your chopped peppers…

And stir everything together.

These are all the spices my hubby uses. Feel free to experiment with whatever you have. But don’t blame me, if it turns out bad.

Add all your spices…

And mix, mix, mix.

Pour in any dark beer you have on hand. Please refrain from drinking it.

We initially thought that we would be using all of these. Wrong. We only used one big can of crushed tomatoes and one small can of tomato paste.

Here’s the big can…

And here’s the small can.

Stir, stir, stir.

Set it and forget it! For at least four hours on very low heat. The longer, the better!

Say hi to Kuma and Sibi! Play with your dogs, if you have some at home. I just realized this is Sibi’s debut on the blog!

Top with shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, and some basil garnish, if you’re fancy. We only had Kraft singles, so I crumbled some. I think that gives it more of a rustic look. Serve with crackers, bread, whatever. Or go carb-free. My hubby is obsessed with this rosemary sourdough bread, so he had some of that.

*Hint: Chili always tastes better the day after when the flavors have had time to marry!

Thank you, hubby!