Mission Chili

A few times year, we get together with a group of friends to provide a chili dinner for one of the local charities. We serve 3 different batches of chili, and mine is typically the spiciest (for the record, I don’t think it’s that spicy, and you can easily adjust to the heat level you like).

I don’t usually follow a recipe when I make chili - I add this and that until I get it just the way I like it. If time permits (and I’m in the mood to chop), I’ll use fresh onions and garlic. Today my attention was divided among several kitchen tasks so I opted to use dried minced onions and garlic. Sometimes I cook the beans from dried - today I used canned kidney beans, but other varieties like black, pinto, navy, cannellini, great northern, etc work equally well. Basically, I keep the meat, bean, and tomato ratio the same and the rest is pretty flexible. Anyway, I was quite pleased with today’s batch so I wrote down the exact measurements for you. Check out the notes listed below the recipe to see my suggested substitutions.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• heavy bottom 12qt stock pot https://amzn.to/3TZZGRz

• masa harina https://amzn.to/3zFr3IN

• chipotles in adobo https://amzn.to/39NdUOa

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Big Batch Mission Chili

makes about 12 quarts (48 cups)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pounds 85% lean ground beef (or turkey)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 3 green bell peppers, diced

• 4 tablespoons minced dried onions (see notes below)

• 4 tablespoons ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

• 2 tablespoons dried chili powder

• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

• 1 tablespoon minced dried garlic (see notes below)

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 4 cans (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes (see notes below)

• 3 cans (15 ounce) dark red kidney beans with their liquid (see notes below)

• 1 can (7 ounces) chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

• 1 cup Masa Harina (see notes below)

• 1 cup water

Directions

1. In 12-quart or larger, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat, combine oil, beef, salt, pepper, and onions and garlic (if using fresh); cook, stirring frequently, until crumbled and no pink remains.

2. Add bell peppers and all the dried herbs and spiced; cook for several minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the canned tomatoes, beans (with their liquid), chipotles in adobo, and green chiles; stir well and bring to a boil, stirring every 5-10 minutes to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour (don’t forgot to continue scraping the bottom of the pan every 5-10 minutes).

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together masa harina and water until no lumps remain; stir well into chili.

6. Serve with assorted garnish - fresh lime wedges, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, Mexican crema or sour cream, chopped scallions, diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, tortilla strips, etc.

Notes

• Masa Harina (aka Masa de Harina or Maseca) is a finely ground corn flour or cornmeal made from dried hominy, which is corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution. Masa Harina is what gives corn tortillas and tamales their distinctive flavor. Adding masa harina to chili is optional, and I made chili without it for years, but ever since I discovered how much flavor and texture it adds, I can’t go back.

• Use good quality, low-acid canned tomatoes - some brands I like are SMT, Cento, Contadina, Muir Glen, Pomi.

• To substitute dried beans (any kind is fine), cook 3 pounds (save some of the cooking water just in case you need to thin the chili a bit).

• To substitute fresh onions and garlic, mince 2 large yellow onions and 4 cloves of garlic (add while browning ground beef).

• For less spicy chili, reduce or omit the canned chipotle peppers in adobo (or substitute chipotle powder or chipotle flavored tabasco sauce to taste).

• Feel free to omit the bell peppers, or go ahead and add some chopped tomatoes, or use a different kind of bean (or a mix of beans), or toss in some corn or hominy kernels…. go for it!

• If using canned beans, no need to drain them (however, I do drain the liquid when using canned black beans because it can really affect the overall appearance of the finished chili).
  

Egg Roll in a Bowl

I love, love, love egg rolls, but I don’t love how high in carbs they are. Thankfully I can still enjoy all the flavor without all the guilt, and it comes together in a matter of minutes.

Start by heating toasted sesame oil in a 12-inch or larger skillet.

Slice a bunch of scallions and separate the light green parts from the dark green parts.

Add the light green parts to the skillet and sauté for a minute or two over medium-high heat.

Add minced garlic and ginger…

Saute for another minute or so, stirring constantly. Be sure ti doesn’t burn.

Add ground pork. Ground beef, turkey, or chicken can be substituted, but pork is traditional.

Cook, stirring and crumbling, until no pink remains.

Add a few more ingredients = more sesame oil, rice vinegar, and liquid aminos. Liquid aminos are a gluten-free, low-sodium seasoning similar to soy sauce. You can substitute low-sodium soy if you don’t have liquid aminos.

The addition of the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy) will make a sauce in the skillet.

Next we add cole slaw mix - I like to use the tri-colored one. It just looks so pretty on the plate.

Saute for a few more minutes until the slaw softens a bit. I like it serve it with a crisp-tender texture and still retain its color so I don’t cook it much longer than that. If you like it softer, by all means, cook it longer (and opt for a slaw mix that doesn’t contain red cabbage because it will turn an unappetizing gray color if cooked for more than a few minutes).

just before serving, add the dark green scallion parts. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 12-inch cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/34keJeE

• garlic press https://amzn.to/2WAoXoz

• microplane grater https://amzn.to/327en9M

• locking tongs https://amzn.to/3uLxd8w

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Egg Roll in a Bowl

makes 6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 bunch scallions, sliced (light and dark parts separated)

• 1 tablespoon minced or pressed fresh garlic

• 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork (or beef, turkey, chicken)

• 3 tablespoons liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy)

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 pound tri-colored slaw mix

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

1. In a 12-inch or larger skillet over medium-high heat, cook light green scallion parts in 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil for a minute or two.

2. Add garlic and ginger; stir constantly for another minute, being sure not to allow the garlic to burn.

3. Add the ground pork; cook by stirring and crumbling until no pink remains.

4. Add the liquid aminos, rice vinegar, and additional toasted sesame oil.

5. Add the slaw mix, pepper, and salt; toss frequently for several minutes until slaw mix wilts and softens a bit.

6. Remove from heat and top with reserved dark green scallion parts.

Note

• I like my egg rolls heavily peppered so I will often double, or even triple the pepper called for in the recipe above.