Older Bolder Life

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chili

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Hot Damn Tri-Tip Chili

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As much as many of us would prefer it not be so, it’s still winter in much of the country, and still soup, stew, and chili season.

We’ve been big chili fans around our camp for many years, and have a slew of recipes we always reach for. Like most of you, we have recipes using all sorts of different proteins, and a few vegetarian recipes as well, though many of those utilize legumes in higher volumes than we typically consume these days.

And while when I hear the word tri-tip, I most often think of a grilled Santa Maria styled tri-tip, with a crusty spice layer and cooked to a tempting medium-rare finish, and sliced thinly across the grain, tri-tip is a great braiser too.

This Hot Damn Tri-Tip Chili owes it’s chili magic to two key things.

The first is the simple fact almost all of the chili flavor comes from a chile puree you make right in your own kitchen, one that you can in fact customize to suit your own preferences (by varying the chiles) quite simply. Once you get this routine down a whole new world of chile (and chili) goodness will open before you.

The second part of the magic is the wonder that happens to a cut of protein that’s a little on the tougher-chew side but imbued with an amazingly deep, rich flavor when it’s slowly braised in a spicy liquid in low heat over several hours. You can have your Instant Pot – there’s no way it can touch the flavors that low and slow cooking imparts.

Don’t let the length of the ingredient list and instructions fool you, this is a very straightforward recipe and only takes 25-30 minutes of actual hands-on time if you’re handy in the kitchen.

Git ‘er done.

5-8 dried ancho chiles, prepped and cleaned
5-8 dried guajillo chiles, prepped and cleaned
2-4 dried New Mexico chiles, prepped and cleaned
4-5 pounds tri-tip , cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 tbsp avocado oil (or EVOO)
2 fair-sized poblanos, stemmed, seeded, small dice
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, small dive
1 large onion, medium dice
6 cloves garlic (the big ones), minced
4 (or more) chipotles in adobo, minced
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes in juice
2 tbsp of your best chili powder (to cover all the chili flavor bases)
1-2 tbsp ground cumin (start with one)
1 tbsp good kosher salt (or more to taste)
2 generous tsp dried Mexican oregano
2-4 cups chicken broth as needed

Optional
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 bottle Mexican beer
More chilis!

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan, add the dried and prepped chiles, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. When softened, puree chiles until smooth with a bit of the soaking liquid or chicken stock.

While the chiles are soaking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in your trusty Dutch oven; brown the tri-tip in batches, remove to a platter.

Fire the oven to 325.

Now sauté the onion and poblanos until soft, then add the garlic and chipotles and stir for a minute or so. Now stir in the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, salt, and oregano; stir for another minute or so until well mixed.

Now add the beer if using, crushed tomatoes with juice, the chili puree, and the tri-tip back to the pot, mixing well, and topping off with stock if needed to cover the meat. Cover, and throw in the oven for at least three hours, stirring every hour and adding chicken stock as needed. It’s ready when the tri-tip loosens up and begins to fall apart.

When it’s done, pull from the oven, let rest for 20-30 minutes, skim the fat, and then go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 7 December: Bazinga (Christmas) Chili

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I first shared this recipe back in 2011 on a fly fishing blog called Chi Wulff; from that post –

Traditions are a funny thing.

Though admittedly our clan has a fair number of traditions that we more or less cling to with stogged fidelity, some traditions can begin to reek of routine.

And routine has crushed the heart and soul of many a fine man and woman.

So it was with a dumbstruck stare that She Who Must Be Obeyed eyed me after I announced several days ago I thought we should break from tradition this year and serve tamales and chili for Christmas dinner.

As a bit of background, we’re once again entertaining what could be shaping up to be a bizarrely diverse group of friends and fishers who couldn’t be with their own families for the holiday.

SWMBO was probably envisioning a meal of a traditional (there’s the ‘t’ word again) ham with all the trimmings, eaten at a beautifully set and decorated table, complete with fresh flowers, two expertly chosen wines, ruthlessly efficient wait staff and classical music playing softly in the background.

I deftly countered with the fact that this has been a brazenly non-traditional year for us, and that traditions, which are often just dull routines dressed up in their Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes, are simply meant to be broken now and again.

Her response…”Bazinga…”

…For a high-brow company meal, have your butcher grind a nice cut (sirloin or tri-tip for us) into a large chili grind and pick up some fresh-made, well-spiced bulk sausage too. This recipe works incredibly well with brisket diced small.

This recipe, at first glance, looks like it uses almost an obscene amount of chili powder – it does call for a fair amount, though most chili powder doesn’t really provide heat – it provides flavor (use a really good, really fresh chili powder). Try it once as the recipe is written and you’ll see what we mean. Just don’t spill any of this deep red treasure on anything white. The touch of brown sugar also softens the bite of the red chile just enough to work a little magic (without breaking the carb budget).

3 lb. London broil, tri-tip, chuck or sirloin ground into rough chili grind or cubed
8 ounces bulk sausage (spicy)
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
2 tbs avocado oil or EVOO
2-4 cups beef broth
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce (Hunt’s by tradition)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 bottle robust beer
11 tbsp commercial chili powder (Spices Etc or Gebhardt’s)
2 tsp garlic powder
1-3 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp ground cumin
Kosher salt to taste
Optional: 1-2 tbsp brown sugar

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and then brown the beef (will probably need to do in two batches); then add to your favorite chili pot. Now brown the sausage, breaking it up as you go, then add the onions when about halfway browned; cook until just soft and the sausage is brown. Add to the chili pot.

Now add two cups of the beef broth, bring to a slow simmer. Add the tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, beer, 6 tbs of the chili powder, garlic powder, 1 tbs of the brown sugar if using and 1 tbs of Tabasco. Simmer uncovered for an hour and half, stirring occasionally and adding more broth as needed to keep it fairly soupy.

Now add the rest of the chili powder (yep, another five tablespoons), a tsp of salt and the cumin. Taste for sweetness – we like to have just the tiniest smidgen of sweetness as an undercurrent to the heat and other flavors – we almost always end up using 2 tbsp of brown sugar. Keep simmering for at least another 30 minutes.

Now it’s time to fine tune the flavors. Taste for chili flavor, heat, and salt. If your chili powder is wimpy you might end up adding even a bit more chili powder, adjust the hot sauce and salt as well. Reduce or thin to desired consistency.

Serve it up as you see fit; we can’t imagine this without a bit of grated cheese, chopped onion and cilantro, maybe a pepper or two, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy.