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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 26, 2011 6:42:23 GMT
Carne guisada looks good, another variant on home cooking a chile inflected beef stew. Eventually I will make a Mole de Olla, a sort of spicy beef and vegetable soup that bears no resemblance to mole as we generally know it. But not until we "eat down" some of the contents of the deep freeze.
Today I'm going to cook a Chile verde de Pechuga de Pollo using some Tomatillo salsa and boneless chicken breast from the freezer and some pinto beans I cooked yesterday.
Canceled. I cooked the chicken breasts in their undiced form, and served the beans on the side.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 11:58:03 GMT
I always wonder what is the prime ingredient that makes chili powder taste (and smell) like chili powder, if that makes sense. I mean, we can probably all identify it from the first whiff or taste, just like we can with curry -- and it tastes like no other spice in the world that I have tasted anywhere.
The Wikipedia article says:
Chili powder blend is composed chiefly of chili peppers and blended with other spices including cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. The chilis are most commonly either red chili peppers or cayenne peppers, which are both of the species Capsicum annuum; many types of hot pepper may be used, including ancho, Jalapeño, New Mexico, and pasilla chilis. As a result of the various different potential additives, the spiciness of any given chili powder is variable.
But this still does not tell me what the dominating aroma is. Is it the peppers themselves?
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 26, 2011 12:47:30 GMT
Cumin.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 26, 2011 17:54:47 GMT
what characteristic of chili unifies all chilies under one identity? My feeling is that the unifying factor is the basic seasoning. Basic chili powder is dried red pepper + cumin + oregano. The combination gives the characteristic chili taste regardless of variation in the rest of the ingredients. Just quoting myself from back on page one. This whole thread, with everyones input is really a treasure. I do think DonC is right that cumin is probably that one flavor/scent that people pick out of the dish as being chili-ish.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 18:14:41 GMT
Yes, thinking about the chili aroma, cumin is definitely a big part of it.
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Post by lagatta on Sept 27, 2011 3:34:10 GMT
I have certainly made very succesful chillis with ground turkey and black beans (so it isn't "white" chilli). While of course turkey is not the traditional meat in Texan chillis, it is most certainly an emblematic fowl of North and Meso-America. It does go well with a lot of peppers and spices from this side of the pond.
I made an utterly inauthentic dish, not properly a chilli, just a spur-of-the motion thing, with ingredients including some orange squash/gourd in SMALL CUBES OR DICE, not puréed. Also the usual onion, celery, garlic finely chopped, indeed a bit of dilute tomato sauce, some not-very-hot peppers (fresh) cumin, oregano (fresh) and sage (also fresh). It was very satisfying.
The small (about 1cm/1/2inch) dice of squash glisten like jewels. I wouldn't use a purée - too much like glop.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 27, 2011 3:36:17 GMT
That sounds lovely!
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Post by lola on Sept 27, 2011 4:04:27 GMT
That does, and even more Meso-American than usual. I've got to try it.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 29, 2011 10:06:25 GMT
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 29, 2011 10:41:28 GMT
I finally made my Green Chicken "Chili". It somewhat resembles a deconstructed Mole Verde de Pollo. I'm sure that there are those who would disagree. None for them!
It was composed using only leftover foods, with the exception of some diced onion.
This is not a recipe. There will not be a recipe. Don't ask.
I had 1 1 /2 cooked boneless chicken breast portions in Salsa Verde de Miltomate, flavored with Hoja Santa or Hoja de Aguacate. I'm not sure which hoja.
I had some extra Salsa Verde de Tomatillos w/o the hojas. I had a medium boiled potato, in its jacket. I had nicely cooked al dente green beans. I had a cup or more of cooked spinach and its liquid. I had about 2 cups frijoles pinto de olla (boiled, seasoned pinto beans.) I diced about 3/4 cup fresh white onion.
To make this improvisation, I first sprayed a bit of cooking oil into a rondo pan.
I gently sauteed the onions. I peeled and diced the cooked potato and added it to the pan. After a few turns with a wooden spatula, I added the chicken breast, cut in small dice. I let that heat up a bit, while I cut 1 cup or so of cooked green beans. Then I added the green beans.
Immediately, I added the leftover salsa verde from the chicken, and some of the other salsa verde. Not all, not yet.
Then, all the pinto beans and their liquid.
I slowly brought all to a simmer. It needed a bit of water to thin it out. No Masa Needed, no M'aam.
Then the cooked spinach plus its liquid.
I decided some more hoja-hoja would be good, so I crumbled up about 2 tbsps and added it. I think, from its anisey smell, it was hoja santa. I really need to label all my spice and herb jars.
After simmering about 5 minutes, I decided it was done. It needed a bt of salt.
It is delicious. I just had some for breakfast over a tiny bit of Mexican style rice.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2011 17:17:44 GMT
Here's what my latest chili looked like when served. For decoration I used Antillean chilis, which are shaped like tiny bell peppers.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 30, 2011 18:04:30 GMT
That sounds like it might be very good, DonC, but I cannot accept that it's chili.
Gawd, I love the color of your chili, Kerouac. (the bowls, too!) Those are big ole beans in there -- kidney?
I'm intensely interested in the chiles, which, because they're from the Antilles & because of the shape, I'm assuming are a type of habanero (Capsicum chinense). These are my favorite peppers because of the interesting round, fruity note to their flavor & aroma. Do you think those are in that family?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2011 18:15:26 GMT
Yes, the botanical name is Capsicum chinense. It apparently is also very popular in Madagascar.
I love that Chinese blue bowl. I think I need to buy more of them, in various sizes if possible.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Oct 6, 2011 17:49:42 GMT
That chili looks delicious Kerouac....did it taste as good as it looks?
I tend to make up my chilis as I go along, but always use a spice mix made of a teaspoonful of paprika, a teaspoonful of cumin and a teaspoonful (less if I'm feeling fragile) of chili powder. I mix these into a paste with a little water, then add to the pan when my onions are starting to cook through. I stir fry this for a few minutes so that the spices cook through. If using beef I like to use steak chopped into v small cubes, but also use ground beef altho' i don't think it's as nice...I use lots of tomato puree and a splash of stock to taste....always add a tin of red kidney beans, and chopped mixed peppers and chilis...usually home grown ones that I've frozen. I like to bake it on a low heat for ages...but it cooks just as well on the hob as long as it's a slow simmer.
If I make a chili-chicken it's more of an asian style...I dip small strips of chicken in tempura batter (or other light batter) and serve with a sticky chili sauce, spring onions and crispy salad and a little rice...
I also make big pots of vegetable chili if I have lots of veg...using the same sauce the beef one..it's probably not very adventurous but we like it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2011 19:09:41 GMT
Yes, the chili was excellent -- but better and better the more it was reheated. There's still some in the freezer. One thing that I like to add to chili when I have some available (besides ground beef) is small cubes of beef heart. And now that I have a great source of oxtail, I think that probably some oxtail meat might make a good addition also.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 8, 2011 8:56:59 GMT
That sounds like it might be very good, DonC, but I cannot accept that it's chili. <SNIP> That's what the judges said about my cubed beef, dark, near black, mole-type chili when I entered it in a chili cookoff in the New Braunfels, TX National Speleological Convention, I think, back in 1978. It was spectacular as well as delicious. But because it wasn't ground beef, it was disqualified. (They were cavers, not cooks nor epicures.) One well known caver had an open # 10 can of pickled jalapeños in front of his tent door, and he started his day by pulling out a chile and munching it. Show off. (This reply delayed by difficulties on the network.)
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 8, 2011 9:13:52 GMT
Today's breakfast or lunch (haven't decided yet) will have my ground beef with pinto beans chile as a significant component. We were going to have it yesterday, but when we went into Pátzcuaro to do errands, we stopped for a picante bowl of menudo, and we decided hat chili for lunch would approach if not exceed critical mass.
Generally, this sort of chile is best when served in a cup or bowl, accompanied by oyster crackers, but saltines will do. Cornbread is another, more substantial possibility, but we had that recently with pinto beans.
Garnishes are nice, but it's best to be somewhat restrained and not apply more than one or two favorites. We like chopped onion for sure, and sometimes some shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.
A more elaborate but excellent construction is a Chili Cheeseburger, also known in the U.S. In the last century as a "Chili Size". It's an open faced hamburger (not too thick), smothered in chili, topped with cheese and chopped onions.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2011 11:04:12 GMT
I grew up crumbling saltines into my chili, but now I would never do such a thing. I don't even eat it with bread, although I am quite sure that it would go well with a baguette.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 10, 2011 9:40:57 GMT
We got down to serious chili business yesterday. We had bowls of the aforementioned ground beef and bean chili for dinner. I poured mine over reheated Papas Cambray al Ajo, while Doña Cuevas had her potatoes on the side. The chili was topped with shredded sharp Cheddar cheese and accompanied by saltines. I made a nice Ensalada de Nopalitos of cooked strips of nopalitos, onion, tomato, garlic, jalapeño chile, lime juice, salt and very little olive oil. Note: can be very laxative when consumed in generous portions. Drank a Cerveza Victoria with that. No dessert was needed, just an hour long nap. Chili is fun to play with, too.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 10, 2011 15:37:08 GMT
Has anyone got a good vegetarian chili recipe? (If it's already been posted, I'll accept my spanking if you post a link to it, or list the page and post numbers.)
My sister's beau doesn't eat meat and I was thinking of cooking up a big pot of deer and elk chili for the rest of the family when we get together in a few weeks. Since frying bacon is the first step in my recipe, I can't just separate out some sauce before adding the meat.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 18:39:02 GMT
Just cook the bacon and meat separately and add it to the simmering beans when appropriate, when the normal people are ready to eat. (You can put some of the beans and sauce in the meat pot so that it doesn't all dry out.)
Vegetarians are used to having inferior meals anyway, so if the beans are flavorless, they won't really notice the difference.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 10, 2011 19:29:29 GMT
What simmering beans? I was planning on opening cans of beans (black, kidney and pinto) and adding them to the simmering meat and tomatos...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 19:44:15 GMT
Oh, I do that sometimes, too -- you can still simmer them even when they come out of a can!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 10, 2011 19:52:20 GMT
Eggplant and portobello mushrooms are a good start on a vegetarian chili.
PLEASE! Do not add canned corn, just because it is "there" and it's easy.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 20:22:41 GMT
If only the French could hear your wise words, DC!
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Post by Kimby on Oct 10, 2011 21:50:11 GMT
What I'm hoping for is a vegetarian chili recipe that "normal people" would also choose to eat.
I can make one pot of each and give the vegetarian a real meal as opposed to an inferior substitution for the main course.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 10, 2011 22:34:31 GMT
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Post by Kimby on Oct 11, 2011 2:07:42 GMT
Thanks, bixa. And lola. Sounds great and worth a try. And I didn't realize that clickable-link index to Any Port recipes existed before now. What a great resource. (Can you do one for book titles in the What's everyone reading? thread?)
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 11, 2011 2:43:17 GMT
Thanks, Kimby. The recipe index is stickied at the top of The Galley board. As far as doing it for book titles ........ I had one going for a while, but don't think anyone noticed. It was really hard to keep up, since you know how often the same book might get discussed in different threads. If you think you'd like to make such an index, PM me & I will give you the very outdated list I have. But, really, I suggest looking very hard at The Library first to get an idea of what a huge task it would be. I try to keep up with the recipe index, but know perfectly well that if I don't input a recipe as soon as I notice it -- & if I notice it --, I'll space it out. Thus the plea there for people to let me know about mistakes & omissions.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 11, 2011 6:22:14 GMT
Well you have done a splendid job with the recipe index, bixa. And I know that I could not do half as well with a book title index, even if I had the time to try.
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