Chili Today...with a Chance of Cornbread...

So, I might get a ticket or thrown into the hoosegow or a nasty email from the International Chili Society or even the International Dutch Oven Society for this post...but I'm a rebel.

TRY AND GET ME!...HA, HA, HA!!!

So, anyway...back at the ranch we find little Johnny stuck in a well...

I am making chili...my way. You say whatever you make is "your way". True, but most of what I like to cook is an attempt at doing the recipes as close to a classic way than not. I figure if I can "get" the classic way, then that opens me up to twisting it around.

My first faux pas of the day is cooking chili in my dutch oven...ON THE STOVE TOP! I have used the dutch oven cooking other meals and recipes over the campfire and chili the traditional way of using briquets on this post...so I figured I had the license to use another method (plus it was raining outside). 

So, here it is on my stove top (hmmm...no knock on the door yet)

What I need to do first is create the base...the main chili oomph.

So I have here some roma toms, half of an onion, garlic and a couple of dried ancho chiles. Ancho chile ("wide chile") is a dried poblano chile, not too spicy but good chile flavor.

Why am I using "chiles" in "chili"...why isn't it chili in chili or chile in chile? Maybe that was one of those unknown-unknowns Rumsfeld was speaking of...

...but I digress...

I got the pot going on medium high heat to dry roast and char the garlic, tomatoes and onion. This will provide a deeper, richer flavor than plain veggies. I got them nicely charred but not burnt...you'll have to trust me as I forgot to take a picture of the end result.

Take those out and set aside.

I steeped the dried chiles in some very hot water for a few minutes to rehydrate them.

By using the same pan I roasted the veggies in, I can retain some of their bits of goodness left behind and incorporate it into the chili (not the chile). I plopped in a tablespoon of bacon grease.

Why?...because this is MY CHILI!...plus it will help the beef git-ta-goin'...

As you may remember in previous posts I get my beef from my father in law who raises a few head of cattle each year. I can have the butcher specialize my portion as I want it...lucky me. 

Here I have a pound of "chili grind"...coarse ground beef...of course. 

get that going...

chop up some green and red bell pepper and onion (not the roasted one)...about 1/2 to 3/4 cup each.

Once the beef is browned off, toss in the veggies

I got out some ground cumin and mexican oregano...much different the your standard Mediterranean type. I bit stronger in taste.

Toss a teaspoon or so of the cumin and oregano...don't you love my exact measurement explanations? Putting them in a dry pot "blooms" the spices and wakes them up.

I deglazed the pan by sacrificing some white wine.

Faux pas #2...beans. You will get run out on a rail if you show up in a chili cook-off competition with beans in a your saddlebag...but I like beans in my chili. 

The Int' Chili Society defines it:

Traditional Red Chili is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden.

Forbidden I tell ya!

Two kinds here and low sodium versions. the can on the right has extra stuff in it so I figured it can't hurt.

For the sauce (you thought I forgot that, didn't you?) I have some tomato sauce with chiles...

...ketchup and V-8, lost of flavor there

I blended the roasted garlic-onion-tomato combination with the now pliable ancho chile (less the stems and seeds), the tomato sauce, ketchup and V-8...and a splash or two of the water the chile soaked in.

Now here's a revelation...buy spices in the Hispanic area of the grocery store. This 11 gram packet of bay leaves was 90¢...

This?...was $9.00 and only half the weight.

Now, maybe you can tell the difference between "Turkish" bay leaves and whatever kind the other is...I can't...and I can't justify buying something that is 10 times higher.

Add the blended sauce and bay leaf...and let 'er go.

And what's chili without cornbread? I'll kick it up a bit with some "tamed" pickled jalapeños and fresh corn kernels.

A great way to cook cornbread is in a cast iron skillet, it gets the side nice and crusty. Grease it up with some bacon grease for flavor.

I rinsed off the pickle brine from the peppers and gave them a rough chop and carved off the corn.

Mixed up the cornbread...use a box variety or the recipe off the back of corn meal and fold in the jalapeños and corn and pour into the prepared skillet.

Bake...blah, blah, blah

To top the chili, I diced up some onion and gave it a quick rinse which removes the acid.

You see folks...chopping an onion causes damage to cells which allows enzymes called alliinases to break down amino acid sulfoxides and generate sulfenic acids. A specific sulfenic acid, 1-propenesulfenic acid, is rapidly acted on by a second enzyme, the lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS), giving syn-propanethial-S-oxide, a volatile gas known as the onion lachrymatory factor or LF. This gas diffuses through the air and soon reaches the eye, where it activates sensory neurons, creating a stinging sensation. Tear glands produce tears in order to dilute and flush out the irritant.

A rich, deep sauce, black and brown beans, red and green bell peppers...looks good enough to eat!

DINNER!!!

Bruschetta

Now repeat after me...

"Bdrew"

Bro

No..."Bdrew"

Brew

Close...you sort of roll the"R", but not like a Spanish rolled R

"Bdrew"

Brew

What ever, close enough...now it's more easy..."Sket"

Sket

Good!...now simply "Ta"

Ta

"Bdrew-Sket-Ta"

Brew-Sket-Ta

"Bruschetta"

Broshetta

Ugh...recipe time...

Bruschetta...as I understand it, is toasted or grilled bread, rubbed with garlic then topped with...whatever.

I think most people think of a mix of tomatoes and basil for the topping...so here we go...

It's really a very simple process that lends a bit authenticity as an appetizer in an Italian meal...a little more that garlic-cheese toast...not that there's anything wrong with garlic cheese toast!

So, slice up a baguette...I like to do it on a bias, not that I have a prejudice against any other cut...but I digress...

...brush each piece with olive oil...or "EVOO" as used in the foodie world (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)...then give them a nice golden toast under the broiler...

Take a clove or two of raw garlic and rub each piece. The toasted crannies of the bread creates a rough surface which shreds the garlic. This can lend quite a garlic bite due to the raw garlic...and more is obviously more bite.

For those who do not care for garlic (and you know who you are)...I have this alternative recipe at this link  --> HERE

Ok, now dice up tomatoes...different colored toms just add another dimension..."we eat with our eyes"...I de-seeded and roughly chopped two roma and one medium yellow heirloom tomatoes

Take 4 or so fresh basil leaves and stacked them on top of each other

 

 So here another new word..."chiffonade"...thin strips and this a easy method to get 'er done...just roll the stacked leaves up into a rather tight cigar

Now, just slice across...simple

Voila!

 

Toss the basil into a bowl with the toms with a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of EVOO and toss to make it all happy, happy, happy.

You could serve it either by letting your guests top the toasts themselves and plate the mixture separately...or

 ...pre-top each toast

This made enough for 3 or 4 people or about 6 - 8 toasts

Happy Cooking!

Dutch Oven Enchilada Pie

This post will feature a few guest bloggers, doing a bit of the heavy lifting as it were...they stepped in to help assemble this next dinner post, so I will let them do the describing and I'll take a backseat, okay?

First up is "Skeeter" or some may know him as "The Toad"...no one knows what his real name is. He's a river rafting guide on Oregon's Rogue River...a little weird (and wired) at first...but all around a good guy. He has some blog..."Skeeter's Epic Adventures" or something.

Me: SKEETER!...hey, nice to see you, thanks for doing this.

Skeeter: No problamo man, happy to, ya know...just got back from an EPIC trip, man...not intense ya know...just chillin with by buds, kickin' back...a real way out time floatin' down Butte Creek in Nor Cal...ever heard of it?

Me: Oh ya!...been down it several times...back in the 70's...there was certainly, well, let's say interesting sights to see along the river, especially as a teenager....people "hanging out" as it were.

Skeeter: 70's???...dude, how old are you?

Me: So anyway, I understand you are going to slip us a recipe you use on your raft trips...Dutch Oven Enchilada Pie.

Skeeter: Fer sure...here...it's all written down, have at it...dude, gotta go...my girl and I are goin' to some super secret EPIC hot springs...gotta grab some burritos and, oh! granola for the morning...later dude!

To help out at some of the prep work is Agador...he's from Guatemala...he has a blog featuring, umm, well...wigs for men...not that there anything wrong with that.

Agador: Chop, chop, chop...that's all I do. Ugh, peppers...I hate peppers, what kind are they?

Me: Hi Agador...those are poblano peppers...not very hot at all but good pepper flavor.

Agador: Whatever...there I did all YOUR work for you, I opened the can of black beans, about a cup of frozen corn, chopped onion, that stupid pepper and 2 cloves of garlic. Where can I wash my hands?

Me: It's been a real event having you over, Agador.

I took out some pre-cooked tri-tip beef roast I had left-over which I also had Agador chop up. Of course pre-cooked chicken could be used or pre-cooked ground beef or even let it be meatless.

Skeeters recipe calls for corn bread mix 

I have asked a fellow food blogger Uncle Big Tex Billy Hubba Bubba Bob Pig Daddy, but we'll just call him "Mor"....he's here to do the assembly...

Me: Yo Moe...I see you're ready to get at it.

Moe: WOO HOO!!!...YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' I AM!!!...I GOT A LITTLE OLIVE OIL IN DA POT AND STARTED OFF WITH THE ONIONS AND PEPPERS!!!

Me: Say Moe, why are ya yelling?

Moe: WHAT?...SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YA!!! I DECIDED TO USE THE SAME POT WE WILL COOK THAT WHOLE MESS IN TO RETAIN ALL THE FLAVORS!!!

Moe: THEN I ADDED IN THE CORN AND PEPPERS AND GARLIC!!!

Moe: ONCE THE VGGIES ARE JUST SOFT I THREW IN THE CHOPPED BEEF AND THE BEANS!!! OH, AND SOME GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE!!!

Moe: THEN I BUMBED UP THE FLAVOR WITH SOME SALT, PEPPER, CUMIN AND CHILI POWDER.

Me: Ow! Moe...really.

Moe: WHAT???

I can't stand it...I'm takin' over. I removed the veggie-sauce mixture to a side bowl.

So the final assembly is like lasagna. Start with a bit of the veggie sauce mix, then layer it with a tortilla...

...tortilla, sauce...tortilla, sauce...I threw in some corn chips for the heck of it...

...next pour the pre-mixed corn bread mix over the whole thing and top with shredded cheese...

...got about 40 briquets going...

I have about 15 under the dutch oven and 25 on top. Remember the meat and everything is cooked, we just need to bake the corn bread topping. This should go for about 30 minutes depending on the heat of the coals.

...and dinner is served!

I would like to thank Skeeter for the recipe and my guest bloggers for their help.

4th of July Brisket

Ah, the Fourth...Independence Day in America...where we collectively stood tall and raised our middle finger to those selfish Brits some 237 years ago.

Pomp and parades, fireworks and music, Old Glory and patriotism, your uncle Jeb fallen down drunk in the horse trough...and backyard barbecues.

Mrs. Blogger Man and I are lucky enough to get either 1/4 or 1/2 beef from her Father each year. When the butcher asked on how I like my meat, I slapped him right across the face...only to realize he meant the beef and how to portion it. I specifically asked for a brisket...at this butcher, if you don't ask, it's hamburger. Tragedy.

The beef is organic, grass fed Black Angus. We get plenty of hamburger in 1 pound bags, or "chubs" as they are called. Steaks, two to a package please...this year I asked for rib steaks instead of a rib eye roast (prime rib) etc, etc. I highly recommend to both of my blog viewers to seek out a way to buy beef this way, much more economical, custom cuts and you know here it comes from (hint, it doesn't come from a grocery store).

Because we received 1/4 beef this last year, the brisket is of course 1/2 the size, 1/2 of the brisket. There are 2 briskets, one on each side. Think of them as chest muscles. One point to note is that this cut is very lean, it gets a lot of work...and some would say, "Great! low in fat!"...what this really means is you need to cook the $#!% out of it to get it tender.

Another point I should mention is that if you cook it too long...it turns to mush. Usually cuts like these are cooked like pot roast...cooked long and slow in some sort of broth.

Because this was my first attempt at a brisket...I was a bit nervous. This would be a long process, some six plus hours...but I was comfortable enough with my abilities at the smoker to give it a go...I thought my pork butt turned out good, ribs are a go, chicken, no prob...even a 28 pound turkey for God's sake!

Even though the Traeger is relatively simple to use, a "set it and forget it" type of smoker, I was still twitching about like some 15 year old teen age boy...wondering if I would make to second base with Betty Krunckle after the Halloween dance. Borrow Mom's car (no gear shift knob), check!...money for fries and a shake at Fosters Freeze, check!...my cassette tape with Stairway to Heaven queued up, check!

Well, if I screw this up there's always hot dogs in the freezer.

Disclaimer: I am in no way suggesting I am any sort of a know-it-all...make that know-anything on barbecuing a brisket. This is just my first attempt and because this is my blog, I get to write about whatever gibberish I feel like writing.

I do however suggest smoking other cuts of proteins to learn your smoker, temps, methods, etc...then do a brisket...and read about it. One good site is amazing ribs (a link is at the left), although this guy might be a bit mad...he really gets into it.

THE WOOD (PELLETS)

I did want to get the right pellets for this go around. Nearly all pellets are a blend even though they state them as cherry or apple wood. From my research it seems on the west coast, pellets are a base of alder and your flavor wood, such as 70% alder, 30% apple. East coast is oak based...even though they are the same brand. The alder based is perfect for chicken, fish...but I wanted oak or at least oak as a base. You can get 100% flavor wood, it's available...just make sure. I found a good blend I could buy locally, Green Mountain Premium Gold Blend, which is a blend of oak, hickory and maple. Oak for long lasting heat, hickory for good smoke flavor and maple for a bit of sweetness.

THE MEAT

So, here it is. I don't know where they get those giant 15 to 20 pound briskets (called a "packer) I see in BBQ competitions, but this one was only about 3-1/2 pounds.

Flipped over, this side is where the "fat cap" is, although removed on my piece. It would normally cover this side of the brisket completely.

Some corners say leave the fat cap on and let the fat melt and self baste the brisket...but a lot of competitors cut all this fat off. Mine came without the fat cap and I would tend to believe this is the correct way to go. This will allow your rub and smoke to get into the meat, otherwise it goes on the fat which will be hacked off before serving...bye, bye flavor!

Above you can see I have taken a black felt tipped marker and drawn right on the brisket itself...a perfectly drawn dotted line to show my vast audience where the two parts of a brisket are (later, I'll spray on "Meatoleum" to hide and mask my drawn line).

The portion on the right, on top is called the "point muscle" and left and below is the "flat muscle". The point is where corned beef and pastrami are from (and you thought it came from a deli).

THE RUB

I used a Traeger rub called Blacken Saskatchewan...why?...because I already owned it and thought what the hell. At this point I wondered (like you probably are)...what the hell does a Saskatchewanian (Saskatchewanite?) let alone your basic, run of the mill Canadian know about barbecuing? 

The answer?...absolutely nothing. "Blackened" I get... Saskatchewan?...???

The rub consisted of salt, black pepper, garlic...I mixed that with a bit more garlic powder, some onion powder, a bit of cayenne and very small amount of white sugar for balance.

The rub went on the night before.

BBQ pundits say about 90 minutes per pound...estimate 3-1/2 pounds = 5-1/2 hours. I threw it on at 12:30 which will allow enough time to add more cooking time if needed and resting time when done.

Smoke, smoke, smoke that brisket up.

After 2 hours at 225º F, I placed a pan of water and apple juice next to it to ensure (more like hoping) it won't dry out.

There are some Texas (where brisket is that "nation's" national pet) BBQ restaurants where they simply throw a naked brisket on the smoker and let her go...and they've been doing it perfectly for decades...nothing I intend to attempt. Like most recipes and tips I have read, plus BBQ TV shows, the brisket is placed in a pan and wrapped in foil 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through.

I dumped the water/apple juice from the pan into my brisket pan and added a chunk of the demi glace I made.

All wrapped up...a couple more hours to go.

Beef is considered "well done" at 160º F...brisket needs to get higher to make sure the connective tissues, fat, etc break down and basically give up the battle...just a hair over 200º...time to pull it.

I kept it wrapped and placed in a cold oven in the kitchen. Competitors place it a fake (faux) Cambro (a cabinet restauranteurs use to hold food hot or cold) by using an ice chest. You have to let this rest...like an hour before slicing. Again, read up on it.

So here it is...nice bark (no it's not burnt), rested and ready...the time has come to see what we have....

...scalpel please...

...Hmmm...first off I see it remained juicy...my worst nightmare avoided...

...slicing it thin would help ease away any toughness that might be there as opposed to a big slab...

...and a decent smoke ring to boot...

...served up with homemade potato salad and corn on the cob.

So how was it?...quite nice, good flavor, tender...how does it compare to others, competitors, restaurants?...I haven't a clue...and don't really care...but I enjoyed making and eating it!