The weather has cooled enough for chili. I am so excited - it is finally time to cozy up with hearty bowls of homemade deliciousness, just they way we like it. I prefer to make my own chili from scratch (versus 'from the can') because I am not always a fan of all the ingredients or seasonings included. I like to choose my own meats, veggies, beans and spices; and blend them in proportions to my liking. This November Chili is Round One - the chili at our house is like snowflakes, we never make the same batch twice. For a lead-off batter, this one scored.
Meat selection was a pound of each - bison and turkey sausage. I have heard more and more about bison lately, especially how lean it is. A little nervous about a new meat - I picked up a pound from Whole Foods, pleasantly eyeing the '90% lean' signage it displayed. When I got it home and put in the pot to brown up, I found the aroma very mild and light. I browned the sausage simultaneously - two meats offer more flavor than just one, right? The meats got the first blast of seasonings: chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, s&p, all to taste. Then out came the meats and in went the veggies - two yellow onions minced, four cloves of garlic, a large bunch of spinach cut into thin ribbons, and an equally large bunch of kale, also in ribbons. At this point, I took a slight tangent. After adding the meat back in to the nicely sauteed veggies, I chose to deglaze the pan with one beer (brand is your choosing). The beer reduced for about 4-5 minutes and later on this concentrated flavor really added a distinct note to the dish. Back on track, in went one can of roasted tomatoes, one cup of stock, and one can of pinto beans. As the chili started to boil, the broth was sampled and seasoned accordingly, with more of the spices mentioned previously. The only new addition was the tiniest dash of cinnamon, which I find adds a warm to meaty dishes that is undeniably delicious. From here on out, this pot of goodness simmered until the ingredients were married into wedded bliss (about a good hour). And we always make sure to serve it up with classic condiments: avocado chunks, light sour cream and shredded cheddar.
Make it again? Yes, of course. Same players, perhaps a slight variation. But we certainly achieved hearty satisfaction with this one.
Improvements? Well, I wouldn't be able to call anything added next time an improvement until we taste it. This chili was damn good. Potentials currently are - a different combination of meats, more beans, and definitely more greens. I loved the green element because they easily assimilated into a dish that typically does not feature veggies. I can't wait to up the ante next time.
