There are as many ways to make chili as there are people who make it.
This can be a sensitive topic for a lot of people. Chili is almost unmatched in its ability to polarize people whenever it rears its ugly head in conversation. I attribute that to its being a male dominated genre and therefore, hotly contested and fought over like everything men get their sausage fingers into. Arguments abound over whether chili should include beans or not, whether the meat should be diced or ground, what meats to include, and of course, heat ratio. If you really want to waste your time, check out this example over on Reddit. The great thing about chili is that every one of these points are valid. The exception being that abomination of cinnamon and spaghetti spawned in Ohio.
Taste is a such a subjective thing.
I won’t say my chili is the best. I will say I’d rather eat it than any other I’ve had. This is a ground beef chili with chunks of vegetables and two kinds of beans in a rich, slightly spicy base, that can be adjusted easily for personal preference. I don’t measure anything in this in a traditional way. I’m writing the recipe the way I make it. If you need to figure out how much chili powder you can handle, or how much cumin to use before something tastes like dirt, now is not the time. I’ll be using a much less precise form of measurement. Its based off experience, sight, and what my hungry little heart tells me at the time. So without further ado, here is the The Great Camper Chili.
The Great Camper Chili
Equipment
- 3 quart or larger pot/ saucepan
- Cutting board
- Big Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Meat I use beef. Pork is inexpensive, Venison is optimal. Whatever looks good.
- 1/2 each Yellow Onion, diced
- 1/2 each Red Bell Pepper, diced Use green. Or yellow. Doesn't matter.
- 1 each Jalapeno, diced Leave the pith and seeds for more heat. Remove for cleaner taste
- 1 Hearts Desire Garlic, minced
- 1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes I like to get the fire roasted ones when available
- 1 5 oz can Tomato Paste
- 1 14 oz can Kidney Beans Light or Dark, its up to you!
- 1 14 oz can Black Beans
- 2-3 shakes Chili flakes Just go with your heat tolerance
- 1/2 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 1 Tsp Mustard Powder
- 2 Cups Beef Stock
Instructions
- Get a gallon dutch oven or sauce pan going over a medium high heat and brown the meat you're using, breaking it up with a spoon. My favorite is grandma's classic wooden spoon. Keep browning and breaking up the meat until its thoroughly cooked and the fat has rendered out.1 pound Ground Meat
- Add your diced vegetables to the meat and sweat those out in the rendered fat. keep stirring so you don't brown any or burn the garlic. You don't want that bitterness in your life1/2 each Yellow Onion, diced, 1/2 each Red Bell Pepper, diced, 1 each Jalapeno, diced, 1 Hearts Desire Garlic, minced
- Toss in your spices and herbs and let them heat up until you smell them nice and strongly2-3 shakes Chili flakes, 1/2 Tbsp Cumin, 1 Tbsp Oregano, 1 Tsp Mustard Powder
- Drop in the tomato paste. I like to cut the ends of both sides of the can, remove one end and push the other all the way through until it plops out the other side. Then I remove the other end from the pan and its a clean, nu fuss tomato paste addition. Cook the tomato paste until it starts to brown just a little, mixing it in thoroughly with the meat and vegetables.1 5 oz can Tomato Paste
- Stir in your liquid slowly, working it into the paste covered mix. The tomato paste will thicken up the broth so that you don't have a soupy, over liquid chili.2 Cups Beef Stock
- Add the tomatoes, and beans and stir. I prefer to rinse my beans in a colander before adding them in. At this point you can tell if you need more liquid or if there's too much and you can adjust accordingly. Bring the whole mix to a simmer and you're basically done.1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes, 1 14 oz can Kidney Beans, 1 14 oz can Black Beans
- Any sort of stew, soup, or recipe that entails mixing a lot of flavors will inevitably become more balanced and nuanced over time. You can go ahead and eat this chili right away, but if you plan ahead, its a whole lot better next day. Grab a bowl, some sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, or whatever your favorite toppings are and dig in!
Finishing it up
If you’re feeling a adventurous, try topping this Great Camper Chili with my Ultimate Cowboy Caviar recipe. And I’d love to read your comments, so that we can start an internet fight over something as subject to personal taste as chili.
