Chili ala Carolina
“My chili recipe is named for my daughter, Carolina, who has always been a fan of my cooking. She inspired me to enter a chili cookoff using this recipe. Making chili ought not be rushed, but we learned that one should focus on dry ingredients first and ensure the ‘chili’ flavors are spot on. Once you’ve got that down, then go wet. I would avoid randomly adding ingredients like cinnamon, bourbon, or whatever is close by. There are a million ways to make chili out there—we just happened to find a recipe that the judges liked that night.”
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium red onions, chopped
- 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
- 4 habanero peppers, finely chopped
- 1 cilantro bouquet
- 4 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 pounds prime sirloin (diced approximately ¼ inch)
- 4 tablespoons chile powder
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons oregano
- 3 tablespoons cumin
- 3 tablespoons achiote powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 (28 ounce) can Cento San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes (hand squeezed)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 6 Fresh ripe tomatillos, puréed
- Garnish
- Cilantro
- Shredded Mild Cheddar
- Sweetened Corn Bread
- Scallions
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, sauté onions and bell peppers in oil on medium heat for 15–20 minutes. Add habanero and garlic and heat for an additional 10 minutes, or until all ingredients are translucent, ensuring no charring/burning. Remove ingredients and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook sirloin on medium-high heat until sufficiently browned, approximately 15 minutes (use more oil if needed) Drain all juices.
- Mix the vegetables and all spices with the sirloin. Stir well for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat, ensuring that no charring or burning occurs and all ingredients are well mixed.
- Add tomatoes, tomatillos and beef broth. Bring to a boil but quickly reduce heat to a simmer. With a string tied to the cilantro, fold chili over the bouquet. After 1 hour, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve over Sweetened corn bread and top with fresh scallions, cilantro and/or shredded ched- dar cheese. Enjoy!
