5 Alarm Chili

Okay, I am sorry that I have been MIA lately. Between a busy December and small vacation back home visiting with my family; I am now back in blog business. For this blog I have chosen a chili recipe that Josh and I made together. This is our take on 5 Alarm Chili. We got this recipe from a television program called Cook’s Country. Yet, we’ve made a few small changes to it to fit our palate.

The five alarms: Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Chipotle Peppers, Jalapenos, and Ancho Chilies

Personally, it is not that spicy. It has more heat to it than spiciness.

What You’ll Need:

28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes

3 ½ cups of water

3 cans of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 ½ cups of beer

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of chili powder

2 Spanish onions (chopped)

2 ounces of chipotle peppers

2 teaspoons of adobo sauce (in the chipotle pepper can)

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 jalapeños (minced, save seeds from one jalapeño)

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

3 dried ancho chilies

1 pound of ground beef

What You’ll Do:

·        First, you need rehydrate the ancho chilies. Place the whole chilies in a bowl with 1 ½ cups of water in the microwave. Heat until the peppers bend and become soft. Then cut off the tops and deseed. Cut the flesh into 1 inch pieces.

·        In a food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, 2 cups of water, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and ancho chilies. Blend until smooth and set aside.

·        Next, brown the ground beef in a pot with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

·        Once browned and cooked through, drain the fat from the meat and set aside.

·        Add the chopped onions and minced jalapenos (and seeds from one pepper) to the same pot with 2 more teaspoons of olive oil. Cook until the onions are very tender and translucent.

·        Once the onions are done, add in the minced garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sugar. When adding the seasonings make sure you are constantly stirring.

·        When all combined, add in the beer. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 3 minutes. This will help cook out the alcohol taste.

·        Next, add the ground beef back and the pinto beans too.

·        Lastly, add the tomato chili sauce.

·        Let everything come to a boil and reduce the heat on low for 15 minutes.

This chili has tons of flavors layered within each bit and you will soon find out why it is called five alarm chili.

We ate ours with corn bread, crackers, and topped with cheese.

Enjoy

-SW