While we're trading recipes
7 October 2005 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
larryhammerMy favorite thing to cook on a slow Saturday afternoon in winter. It's especially good if it's raining. Simple and low effort. It's the slow-cooking thing.
Lazy Chili
In a heavy-bottomed pot, brown
a pound or two of ground meat
It can be beef, turkey, emu, whatever. Some meat and bean combinations are particularly tasty -- turkey with black beans, for example. When brown, saute in
a chopped large onion
When that's translucent, add
a cup or two of dried beans
several cloves of garlic
a can or two of tomatoes
a lot of ground cumin (to taste)
crumbled dried chile peppers (to taste)
2 bay leaves
enough water to cover
Pretty much any kind of bean except lentils. Pintos or kidneys are traditional. With a Native Seeds:SEARCH store in town, we have fun with heritage varieties, like Anasazi or Colorado River or scarlet runners; our current fave is a local variety of tepery, which are excellent with buffalo or turkey. They don't have to be one type, either. If you're in a hurry, canned beans work but it's not as tasty. For the chiles, I pull some from our kitchen ristra of Anaheims, plus an habanero ot two if I'm feeling picante*. Crushed cayenne from a jar is fine -- it's not exactly a picky recipe. Except for the cumin -- that's essential.
Simmer covered over low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. If you used dried beans, it'll probably be edible (as in beans cooked) in four hours and be excellent in six; for canned beans, allow at least two hours. It's done when it congeals like a stew. Which it is one. About fifteen minutes before serving, add
salt (to taste)
needs a little more cumin, doncha think
Serve over something like rice or couscous -- whatever's the least bother. Or hot biscuits on the side, maybe. Serves a passel of carnivores for a couple days. Good cold in pita.
* The ideal chili spicing has a 10-second delay between taking a mouthful and having it go off in your mouth. If you do it right, you can have unsuspecting guests take a second bite of Blazing Hyper-Heated Chili-Curry of *D*O*O*M* before they notice. Thai peppers are good for that. But that's too much bother if you're making Lazy Chili.
---L.
Lazy Chili
In a heavy-bottomed pot, brown
a pound or two of ground meat
It can be beef, turkey, emu, whatever. Some meat and bean combinations are particularly tasty -- turkey with black beans, for example. When brown, saute in
a chopped large onion
When that's translucent, add
a cup or two of dried beans
several cloves of garlic
a can or two of tomatoes
a lot of ground cumin (to taste)
crumbled dried chile peppers (to taste)
2 bay leaves
enough water to cover
Pretty much any kind of bean except lentils. Pintos or kidneys are traditional. With a Native Seeds:SEARCH store in town, we have fun with heritage varieties, like Anasazi or Colorado River or scarlet runners; our current fave is a local variety of tepery, which are excellent with buffalo or turkey. They don't have to be one type, either. If you're in a hurry, canned beans work but it's not as tasty. For the chiles, I pull some from our kitchen ristra of Anaheims, plus an habanero ot two if I'm feeling picante*. Crushed cayenne from a jar is fine -- it's not exactly a picky recipe. Except for the cumin -- that's essential.
Simmer covered over low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. If you used dried beans, it'll probably be edible (as in beans cooked) in four hours and be excellent in six; for canned beans, allow at least two hours. It's done when it congeals like a stew. Which it is one. About fifteen minutes before serving, add
salt (to taste)
needs a little more cumin, doncha think
Serve over something like rice or couscous -- whatever's the least bother. Or hot biscuits on the side, maybe. Serves a passel of carnivores for a couple days. Good cold in pita.
* The ideal chili spicing has a 10-second delay between taking a mouthful and having it go off in your mouth. If you do it right, you can have unsuspecting guests take a second bite of Blazing Hyper-Heated Chili-Curry of *D*O*O*M* before they notice. Thai peppers are good for that. But that's too much bother if you're making Lazy Chili.
---L.
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Date: 8 October 2005 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 October 2005 12:39 am (UTC)---L.
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Date: 8 October 2005 12:54 am (UTC)