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Dad’s Tavern Chili
As an adolescent I was commissioned by my dad to make a huge pot of chili for his tavern weekly, and I earned fifty cents a batch doing so! (This was before the era of food safety regulation and inspection - I just made it in our home kitchen!) Dad had taught me how to make his chili, and everyone agreed it was in a class of its own. I hadn’t thought much about it and certainly never tried to replicate it for the past 60 years or so, and now some of the ingredients are either unavailable or non-existent. But this week I started thinking about the old times and wondered if I still “had it in me” to make that wonderful chili. This recipe is about one third of that humongous kettle I made back then, stays close to my memories of how it was made, and tastes nearly the same. Dad would be proud of me if he were here to sample it. (But my price for making it today for him would be inflation-adjusted LOL!) Ingredients
- 1 or 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin beef (90% lean)
- 1 14.5 -ounce can diced tomatoes (or use 3 large fresh tomatoes chopped)
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste, plus one can-full of water
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, plus one can-full of water
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder (I use Gebhardt Brand)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 or 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans (I don't drain)
Directions
- Heat oil in 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven pan. Add onions and sauté 5 minutes, stirring. Add green peppers, jalapeno garlic and sauté 3-4 minutes.
- Crumble beef over vegetable mixture and brown thoroughly, allowing juices to evaporate as you do so. (If 90% lean beef is used, there should be no need to drain fat away.)
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and its can-full of water, tomato sauce and its can-full of water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching (chili is thick!)
- Add beans and heat though.
- YIELD:about 2-3 quarts, or 10 1-cup servings
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Reviews
This is easy to make and fantastic! I used 1 lb ground beef (85% fat) and 1 lb sweet Italian sausage. I also used a 12 oz can of tomato sauce and substituted the pinto beans with one can of kidney beans and one can of chili beans unrinsed and used the whole can. I let it cook for eight hours is a crock pot and it was fantastic!!
For chili nights, this is definitely our FAV.
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%20%20Dad%20had%20taught%20me%20how%20to%20make%20his%20chili,%20and%20everyone%20agreed%20it%20was%20in%20a%20class%20of%20its%20own.%20I%20hadn%E2%80%99t%20thought%20much%20about%20it%20and%20certainly%20never%20tried%20to%20replicate%20it%20for%20the%20past%2060%20years%20or%20so,%20and%20now%20%20some%20of%20the%20ingredients%20are%20either%20unavailable%20or%20non-existent.%20%20But%20this%20week%20I%20started%20thinking%20about%20the%20old%20times%20and%20wondered%20if%20I%20still%20%E2%80%9Chad%20it%20in%20me%E2%80%9D%20to%20make%20that%20wonderful%20chili.%20This%20recipe%20is%20about%20one%20third%20of%20that%20humongous%20kettle%20I%20made%20back%20then,%20stays%20close%20to%20my%20memories%20of%20how%20it%20was%20made,%20and%20tastes%20nearly%20the%20same.%20%20Dad%20would%20be%20proud%20of%20me%20if%20he%20were%20here%20to%20sample%20it.%20(But%20my%20price%20for%20making%20it%20today%20for%20him%20would%20be%20inflation-adjusted%20LOL!)%20%20){kind=small}
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