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Steps
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Sequence
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Step
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| 1 | Brown ground beef in 1 lb sections in large skillet with lots of black pepper and a few of the onions to give it some flavor. Leave the beef in larger chunks. |
| 2 | When browned, transfer beef to large chili pot. |
| 3 | Saute the rest of the onion and garlic (3 large cloves) and add to chili pot. |
| 4 | Add 3 of the 4 cans of tomato to the chili pot. |
| 5 | Add about 1 tablespoon of baking soda to pot. Stir thoroughly. We expect the tomato to bubble as the acid reacts to the base in the baking soda and prevents you from getting heart burn later! (If you''re prone to heart burn, you can use a bit more. If you taste an odd dry taste in the completed chili, it was a bit much and add less next time. You won''t hurt yourself by doubling the baking soda.) |
| 6 | Add finely chopped carrots and zucchini. I use a potato peeler to shred them both directly into the pot. You can use a cheese shredder or food processor. (those are just harder for me to clean) |
| 7 | Chop green pepper in medium/large chunks and add those to chili pot. |
| 8 | Give the pot a good stir. You should see a decent amount of clear liquid but mostly chunks and they should be fairly evenly balance. I go by color at this point. If it''s not juicy enough or doesn''t have enough red add the last can of tomatoes. |
| 9 | Add tomato paste to thicken if desired. I usually add the whole can. |
| 10 | Add more black pepper, oregano, majorum, sage, can of beer and what ever other spices you''re in the mood for. (sometimes I sub tyme for majorum and don''t usually use basil because it''s such a common flavor. |
| 11 | Let chili simmer for about 20 minutes. (Note: At this point you''ve added no heat and no taco spice) |
| 12 | Taste chili -- you''re checking for depth of taste. The broth should have a solid flavor. Add more of previous spices if it''s thin. |
| 13 | Add taco spice and heat. It''s going to turn very dark brown as you add the spice. Make sure to stir completely. |
| 14 | Simmer for as long as you''d like. I usually leave the pot on all day. But technically, as soon as you''re stirred you''re ready to serve. |
