Easy Chili

Certified Angus Beef Country Fried Steak Recipe

Source: Trickum Treats.

There is no date on the book or the recipes, so I’m just going to think of them as timeless.

About the Dish

Chili is one of those classic American comfort foods beloved by many, especially when the weather turns cold. There are many tales about its origin, the tallest being that a 17th-century Spanish nun fell into a trance, had an out-of-body experience, and returned with a recipe for a venison stew made with chile peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

We might not know exactly how chili came about, but the earliest recipe dates to 1828, so it’s been around for a while.

Everyone needs a good chili recipe. Chili is delicious, warming, and filling. It is the perfect meal for cool autumn evenings, football Sundays, and neighborhood get-togethers.

Chili is also versatile and everything from the ingredients to the toppings can be adjusted to your personal tastes. Everyone can make chili perfect just for them.

Original Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tbsp fat
2 lbs ground beef
½ cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup finely diced celery
1 small clove garlic, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 to 2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
4 to 5 cups cooked kidney beans

Directions:

Melt fat, add beef, stir and fry until lightly browned, add onions, celery, garlic, and green pepper, continue stirring and frying until onions are golden brown — about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and chili powder, which has been mixed with cold water, salt, sugar, and worcestershire sauce. When boiling, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add beans; cook uncovered until well heated and chili is desired thickness. For thinner chili, add more tomatoes or water. For thicker chili, add grits which have been mixed with cool water.

How I Cooked It

There are two great things about this recipe. One is the added fat. I know…who needs more fat? However, bacon fat adds such a flavor depth and richness to the chili, you’ll wonder how you ever ate chili without it. The second is the use of grits as a thickening agent. This was something new. I mostly use cornstarch to thicken my chili, but as a lifelong grits lover, adding grits to chili made a whole lot of sense to me. The grits did thicken the chili and give it more texture.

I felt the recipe was light on the chili powder. I recommend doubling it to give your chili more flavor and spice.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp bacon fat
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup finely diced celery
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 cups canned tomatoes
4 tbsp chili powder
1 cup + 2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 cans red kidney beans
¼ cup corn grits

Directions:

Melt fat, add beef, stir and fry until lightly browned
Add celery and green pepper; cook until tender
Add tomatoes
Mix chili powder with cold water, salt, sugar, and worcestershire sauce; add to pot
Bring to a boil
Cover and simmer for 1 hour
Add beans and bring to a simmer
To thicken, mix grits with 1 cup of cold water

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!!