Back in early Summer Larry from Big Dude’s Eclectic Ramblings had a giveaway on his blog. He was giving away his homemade chili powder to 3 lucky winners. I was one of the winners. He uses high quality herbs and spices from Penzy’s in his chili blend. It is made up of chipotle pepper, ancho pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, onion powder, cilantro, and thyme powder.
All I can tell you is that it is like chili in a jar. One sniff of it will transport you to visions of a big pot of chili. Larry asked for feedback on his blend and all I can say is “don’t change a thing”. This is now the blend I will use in every pot of chili that I make. I think he should market it.
With Fall in the air I knew it was time to get out my big, deep cast iron pot to make a batch of chili. My chili has always been made as a whim on my part. I have made it with chunks of beef, flavored it with chocolate, and made one pot with so many peppers in it that our guests couldn’t eat it. There has never been a set recipe. But this pot turned out so well that I am committing it to memory and this post.
I like contrast in a bowl of chili so I used three kinds of beans; black beans, cannellini beans and chili beans (flavored pinto beans). I wanted a quick chili so I used ground beef. The sauce was a combination of canned crushed tomatoes and canned marinara sauce. But what made it really good was Larry’s chili powder blend.
Thanks Larry for a great gift. When I run out I will gladly pay you for a new supply.
MY FAVORITE CHILI
1 1/3 pounds ground chuck
1 large onion, chopped
3 heaping tablespoons Chili Blend
Salt and pepper to taste
1 28 ounce can crushed, peeled Italian tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce (I like Rao’s Homemade Sauce)
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can Harvest Farms Organic chili beans (not drained)
Cayenne pepper to taste (I did not use it. The blend was just right for my taste)
Brown ground beef and onion in a pot until cooked through. Drain off fat. Return to stove and add chili blend and salt and pepper. Cook stirring for a few minutes. Add canned tomatoes and marinara sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Add beans and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes on low heat. Add cayenne pepper if chili is not hot enough for you.