Winter freakin’ sucks. The cold is not fun and being pale is quite arguably the worse thing in the whole world…okay fine, I’m exaggerating but you get the idea…
But, if winter has one redeeming quality…it’s food. Shocker. Vic thinks food is the best part of something…Anyway, with cold weather, comes comfy warm and toasty things. Like sweaters and cozy socks and warm fires, and best of all (drum roll please…)…
COMFORT FOOD!
I’m talkin’ stews and soups and casseroles and chowders. SAY NO MORE. Nothing like a little heartiness to warm yourself to the core (and put yourself to sleep like my grandma Jane after her 6th gimlet)….
But, what I’m really talkin’ is chili. And not just any chili….
I’m talking chili with so much meat, you need to be over 18 to eat it…
I’m talking chili so beefy, Arnold asks it for workout tips…
I’m talking chili so thick, it gets censored on TV…
This particular dirty chili was created for the Super Bowl, with the ultimate purpose of being placed atop nachos. So, I wanted it to be on the thicker side. I also wanted it to be freakin’ easy, so the slow cooker was an obvious choice. I’m all about that set it and forget it life.
I’m rather particular when it comes to the way I like my chili. I like two things: keep it simple and keep it meaty. I like peppers, onions, tomatoes, and crunchy beans. So that’s what I put in my chili. If you want something else, throw it in. Don’t let me stop you from living your dreams.
Beef and pork are like my version of peanut butter and jelly. Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m kinda suuuuuper into meat. As much of it as possible. And yes, I know how this is coming across, and I don’t care.
Which brings me to my next segment, Mother Knows Best (But That Doesn’t Stop Me From Arguing):
I used ground beef and ground pork for my chili this time around. My lovely mother, Ellen, decided to…let’s say, make it clear, aggressively…that she believes sausage (removed from the casing) would be the better choice here. I, on the other hand, already had plain ground pork in my freezer–and just like that–my mind was made up. But, I must admit, sausage would have been nice here…never admit it to her face though…
Dice up a large yellow onion and two large green bell peppers. Heat two tablespoons of oil in the biggest skillet you have. I, for example, realized I do not have an extra large skillet. So, like a peasant, I split the peppers and onions and used two pans: one for the pork and one for the beef.
Vic Trick: I always use the bag that I used to buy my peppers as a place to throw my scraps during my prep. The skins of the onion, the insides of the peppers, even the meat container, can all go in there while you work!
Heat the peppers and onions to begin to soften them, about 4 minutes:
Then–my favorite–add the ground meat. This is when the real secret comes into play…
THIS IS CRITICAL!!!
At your local grocery store, in either the spices isle or the Mexican isle or both, they have chili seasoning packets. Yes, very similar to the taco seasoning packets you get in those kits. But it should say chili on it in one way or another. If they’re small packets, get two. Trust me–you’re gonna want this stuff around…
Add the chili seasoning generously (I’m talking A LOT, like 1/4 of a cup per lb of beef) and whatever other seasonings you desire. I added extra garlic, a little cumin, and a little ghost pepper seasoning (damn right, I like it spicy).
Once the meat is cooked through, add the meat and peppers/onions mixture to the slow cooker.
From there, it’s easy peasy my friends. Add some sort of tomato component; I used crushed tomatoes because I like a thick chili, but you can use diced tomatoes in their juice to loosen things up a bit. Then add your beans; I used small cans of red kidney beans and black beans because I’m not the biggest bean fan, but I like ’em when they’re crunchy.
ADD MORE OF THAT DELICIOUS CHILI SPICE!!! ….seriously just lay it on thick its borderline impossible to overseason a chili…
Give it a stir then leave it in the slow cooker on low for about 6-8 hours. The longer the better!
Bask in the deliciousness of what you have just created…
Once it’s done the options are endless! Use it on nachos, in burritos, or just in a bowl with some shredded cheese and chips! Or you can just shovel it into your mouth by the spoonful with a glass of red wine…I mean…my friend does that…
[yumprint-recipe id=’6′]
Happy Eating!
