Skirt in the Kitchen
This is Caleb’s chili. I wish he could have made this for his grandfather– my dad would have been proud to know that all the chili he cooked when Caleb was a kid, Caleb took notice and latched onto Dad’s way of cooking when it comes to a good tasting chili. His grandpa would have loved this. I like the surprise of ketchup and cilantro in this. It’s the right balance– the chili isn’t mild, and it’s not spicy-hot. This is a good way to have chili on a fall evening or on a wintry day.
Brown 1 pound “lean” ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper– just so there’s not a greasy amount of liquid accumulated. Chop and add 1/2 of a red onion (sweetness), 1/2 of a white onion (more pungent), and 3 cloves finely chopped garlic. Add a bunch of chopped cilantro from the get-go. When the meat is thoroughly cooked, stir in some chili powder, needing to add more in the end according to taste. It’s all in the way you want it. Add tomato sauce, chili beans, stewed tomatoes, and canned or fresh chilies. For this, I like the canned chilies. He does either or, and sometimes he has several different beans in his chili; like a mixture of chili beans, black beans, and kidney, perhaps white. The sauce in the chili beans and the softness and particular flavor of canned chilies seem to go so well. Either way, it’s exceptionally good. The ketchup balances it out from the sweetness in the ketchup without a sugary taste; cuts the acid of the tomatoes and calms the hot peppers. I love this chili. The cilantro in it is a standout, too. I am impressed with the simplicity of it along with the ideal flavor combination. It doesn’t go overboard on anything. It’s right between hot and mild, it hangs in the middle. For a desired thinner chili, add a little water. Check for taste to see if it needs more salt and chili pepper.
Leave a Reply