Basic Chili

Basic Chili




3/4 lb browned ground beef
2 cups dry beans soaked overnight (at least 8 to 10 hours)
2 cups Tomato (sauce, soup, whatever you have)
onions (about half a medium onion )
garlic
cayenne
black pepper
chili powder
thyme

I prepare the beans a few days in advance and let them spend one night in the fridge in their own juice. Soak beans over night. Boil them until very tender. Rest in fridge.

Set beans to drain over a bowl.

While the beans drain start browning ground beef. While beef is cooking add some garlic, black pepper, chili powder and cayenne, plus all the onion. If you don't spice the beef while it cooks your chili will be a bit bland.

While the beef is cooking, add the beans and tomato sauce to a large pot on low heat. Add more garlic, cayenne, black pepper, chili powder and also thyme. Cover and cook on low stirring occasionally.

Strain juice from beef into small bowl. Add beef and onions to beans, mix in well, cover and continue cooking on low for at least one hour stirring occasionally.

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Serve as a big bowl of chili topped with lettuce shredded cheeses and/or sour cream or chili dogs with salad and oven fries or chili-cheese potatoes or corn chip pie or any combination rolled up in a warm tortilla. It freezes well so i make a large pot each time.

Use what you have. Onions can be fresh dried or onion powder. Tomato sauce can be sauce, paste or even tomato soup.

I often buy beef in 2.25 pound packages and divide each into 3 - 3/4 lb portions to freeze. 3/4 pound is plenty for any recipe that call for 1 pound of beef, in needed, I just add more vegetables to cover.

I always save bean juice for thickening in soups and stews or to add to steamed rice with spices etc..

I also always save the meat juices. I store it in the freezer marked with the date, what kind of meat ... beef, chicken, pork .... and whether it bland or spicy. I use it in many dishes, soups, stews, pot pies, try adding some for the liquid in steamed rice. I also use the bland juices for making cat and dog foods and for ill animals.



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** amended to add something i forgot *o* the second most impotant ingredient - chili powder (or chili peppers). The first most important ingredient, for me, are the beans.

This is the first time I've written this recipe down. I just make them up as I go :)

Thank you Jj for reminding me !