Chili con carne

This weekend is going to feature a couple firsts. I’m entering a Chili cook off on Friday, and have two pieces of art that are going to be in an art show on Saturday.

The art is ready and I’m proud to show it. I don’t expect it to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s fun and original. While I would love for someone to bid and take home both pieces, I wouldn’t be sad about bringing them home and adding them to the grotto. It’s just cool to have the opportunity to show them off. I’ve done a fair bit of design-on-demand, but this is the first time I’ve ever created artwork that I hoped someone might want to buy.

The chili? Oh, I am so less prepared. The one thing I can guarantee is that it’s not going to be like the others.

I rummaged through the freezer and pantry to see what might go in the pot. A pork tenderloin? Some bacon? A half pound of ground pork. Anasazi beans? Dried chiles?

No, I’m not doing a straight-up pork chili. Nor am I sacrificing the prime NY steaks I found. Tri tip? Bottom round? Hmm.

And, I’ll add the beans, but they are an accent, not a major component. 

Ingredients

Bottom round roast, 36 oz

Pork tenderloin, 12 oz

Ground pork, 8 oz

Bacon, 2 strips

Onion, 1 large

Garlic, 10 cloves

Chile guajillo, 6 dried

Chile ancho, 3 dried

Chile negro, 3 dried

Anasazi beans, 16 oz (dry)

Beef stock, 32 oz

Crushed fire roasted tomatoes, 14.5 oz

Tomato sauce, 8 oz

Chile soaking water as needed

Ground Cumin

Granulated garlic

Maui onion salt (salt, onion, sugar, rice, cornstarch, parsley)

Masa Harina (corn)

Ground California chile

Semi-sweet chocolate, 2 oz

Crystal sauce

1. Prepare beans, Soak overnight in 3x water, rinse well, cook until tender with some ground chile, tomato sauce, cumin, and salt. Strain and refrigerate until ready to prepare chili.
2. Cube the beef and pork and toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp granulated garlic, 1 tbsp Maui onion powder, 1 tbsp ground chile, and black pepper. Let sit for 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Toss seasoned meat with Masa Harina to lightly coat. Let come to room temp before searing.
4. Seed and devein dried chiles put in a pot of water. Bring to a light boil and remove from the heat, cover, and let soak until the flesh has softened. When cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the skin of the guajillos. (And other chiles if the skins are tough.) Purée in a blender with some of the reserved soaking liquid until smooth. Reserve the rest of the soaking liquid. Highly recommend nitrile gloves for handling the chiles before & after soaking.
5. Mince garlic and dice onions. 
6. Dice bacon.
7. Add the bacon to a large pot and cook until it starts to get crispy. Brown the ground pork in the bacon fat and offload with a strainer, then brown the cubed meat in batches. 
8. Cook the onions and garlic in the remaining fat until they start to soften, add crushed tomatoes, then deglaze with alcohol of your choosing: sherry, brandy, beer, wine. 

Garnishes

Pico de Gallo

Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

Onion, diced

Garlic, minced

Jalapeño, minced

Cilantro, chopped

Lime, juiced

Salt

Escabeche

Carrot, sliced

Radish, sliced

Fresno chile, sliced

Crumbed queso fresco

Sour cream