Chilli con carne

Another way to feed a crowd deliciously and inexpensively. True, it won’t happen soon, because the longer it simmers at a low temperature, the tastier the chilli con carne will be. Ideally, eat the next day.  Cook the night before and leave overnight in the refrigerator. By the way, this is not such a bad idea, because there is usually something to do on the day when the guests come!

Chilli con carne is better made for a crowd as it is simply too difficult and too time consuming to cook for just two. This time, I seem to have used very few ingredients… but it would have been enough for at least four people. You will have to think of something delicious to cook the next day. Somewhere I saw a recipe for jacked potatoes – potatoes with skin, with chilli con carne filling. 

For chili, I usually buy a nice, slightly aged cut of beef and grind it through the coarsest sieve. I don’t have a meat grinder this time, so I bought two aged beef burger patties. Not ideal, but we try.

A jar of canned beans was left by friends. It has already become a tradition that all vacationers, when they move out, take with them what they bought, but did not manage to use 🙂 

I pull a couple of onion heads, a few cloves of garlic and spices from the cupboard. 

Chilli con carne is how it should be made, a piece of beef and whatever is already in the cupboards. 

I roast the meat. I take it out and put it aside.

I caramelize the onions, when they are already nicely browned and obviously cooked, I add garlic, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste. 

When everything is fried, I return the meat and add spices: cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, a little cumin, cocoa powder, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, salt. If you like it spicier or are a hot pepper enthusiast, now is the time to let your hair down!

I added wine, but you can add broth to the stew, and if the acid lasts, add a little wine vinegar at the end of cooking, and let it simmer for a couple of hours on a low temperature. Half an hour before the end, I added the canned beans. You don’t need to cook them for a long time, you just want the flavors to come together and still not turn into mush.

Chilli con carne is delicious when placed in a bowl and flavored with Greek yogurt or sour cream with a few coriander leaves. 

It’s also delicious added to tacos with guacamole. 

If it’s a party food, serve a bowl of stew with guacamole, tacos, or just nachos next to it. Serve separately in a jar with chopped hot pepper, coriander. You can also serve salsa dips. Place separate plates and let everyone put together what they like and want.