I have to admit when my mate Kevin first sent this recipe to me I was a bit scared. As you can see it has at least 12 different spices. I don’t mind a bit of zing in my food but a bit of a wuss if it’s flaming hot. I’m pleased to announce it isn’t. It’s hard to describe but it has a slow gradual heat, is gorgeous and worth the effort.
As usual I went off-piste and modified it for the slow cooker. I browned the mince with the onion then put everything in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low. 30 minutes before the end I added the sour cream. The only other thing I would change is the amount of salt. It calls for quite a bit and I think you could get away with a lot less.
The Story behind the chilli
A friend shared this recipe with me.
The story goes like this. In the 1980’s he lived in the US, in Detroit. In
Detroit there was a Mexican place that was renowned for their chilli. His
Parents used to go there all the time to eat with their friends. When they left,
they paid the chef for the recipe because they couldn’t live in a world without its magnificent taste.
They were kind enough to pass the recipe on to him and in the last 10 or so
years I’ve worked tirelessly to refine and improve its delicate flavours.
I would add up front that if you like chilli it is very much worth the time and
effort to cook this. If you don’t like chilli, well it’s still worth it because of
how good it is.
Don’t let the name put you off either, while it is not for the faint hearted, it
can also be made milder if required.
Ingredients:
1 TBSP of salt
1 heaped TBSP of chilli powder ( I use more)
1 heaped TSP of crushed garlic
2 bay leaves
400 g of lean steak mince
2 tins of plum tomatoes
1 tin of red kidney beans
garlic
1 TSP Ground cumin
1 TSP Paprika
1 TSP Cayenne Pepper
½ TSP thyme
½ TSP ground cloves
½ TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP rosemary
1/4 TSP all spice
1/4 TSP oregano
1/4 TSP marjoram
One green pepper (optional)
1 large onion
sour cream
cheddar cheese
a large sauce pan
Method:
1. get the meat, brown it then drain it of all fat. Put it to one side.
2. get onion, chop very finely. Brown this.
3. add the browned meat to the pan and mix with browned onion
mmm
4. add 2 tins of plum tomato. Stir them around into the meat and onion.
Break them up a bit with the stirrer.
5. add the delicious blend of herb and spices, garlic and bay leaves. Stir
6. wash and drain the kidney beans and stir them in.
7. Cover and simmer. Now I put it on the lowest heat possible and leave it
for 2 hours min. Stir every 20 mins or so. Basically the longer the better.
mmm
Now this is quite hot dish, so I get sour cream and after a few hours of
Simmering I stir in a few table spoons. This thickens it up nicely and makes
it bearable for the weak.
I then serve it with grated cheese on top and some jalapeno peppers on
either rice, baked potato or on its own with some crusty bread.
Thanks again Kevin for yet another delicious recipe. I still need to try the Fish Curry.
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