What are the origins of Chili?
San Antonio, Texas. The classic landscape of a western film from times gone by: dust, scorching sun, arid land and ramshackle shacks stuck between semi-dilapidated buildings. Chili was born like this, or rather, this is how the Reinas del Chili were born. The street vendors who offer soft and succulent meat, scented to the nth degree thanks to a perfect mix of meat, spices and chilli.
Diving into western films is obligatory, but the origins of this dish handed down thanks to the famous American films come from much further away, they are the conquistadors who, between the 15th and 17th centuries, noticed the method of preparing the meat used by the Indians of 'America. The beef was cooked in large pots with the addition of tomatoes, red beans and chili peppers.
What is Chili di carne?
Chili is a spicy meat stew of American origin which, thanks to its particular flavour, has invaded the diners of the United States and thanks to its unmissable presence in western films, has spread throughout the world. To serve the Chili it is necessary to propose corn tortillas and, depending on the place where you taste it, there may be other ingredients such as: avocado, sour cream and melted cheddar.
The dish undoubtedly belongs to the Texan territory, however the ease of preparation and the possibility of adding imaginative touches has allowed the Mexican population to create a personalized version, which is why today it is easy to find the Tex-Mex version Chili, a sort of fusion where the spiciness is toned down thanks to the red beans that combine with the beef giving an extra touch without distracting attention from the main ingredient.
Chili con carne recipe
Chili con carne is a dish to be prepared with care since the spicy touch represents the true essence of the dish and at the same time, getting the dosage wrong means compromising everything.
Ingredients for chili meat
- 800g of minced beef
- 5 liters of meat broth
- 700 g of pre-cooked red beans
- 250g of red peppers
- 500 g of tomato puree
- 150g of white onions
- 150g of red onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 fresh chili pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches of fine salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- 1 pinch of black pepper
Procedure for cooking chili con carne
Let's start with the vegetables: wash and chop the garlic cloves, the pepper, the red and white onion and the chilli pepper. In a non-stick pan, heat a spoonful of oil and add the minced beef, leave to brown, stirring occasionally, over a medium-high heat for a few minutes.
Add a pinch of salt and a ladle of broth, lower the heat and let it evaporate, then remove from the heat. Set aside and continue preparing the other ingredients. In a saucepan add a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil, the previously prepared vegetables and the brown sugar, mix and when the mixture is well blended add the missing spices: cumin, coriander and black pepper.
Add the beef and put back on the heat, adding a ladle of broth, leave to cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and add the tomato puree, cover and leave to cook for 60 minutes, stirring and topping up from time to time if necessary. Once finished, add the previously scalded red beans and leave on the heat for another 40 minutes.
Once cooked, remove from the heat and let the Chili con carne rest for 10 minutes, so as to allow all the ingredients to blend perfectly. Serve with tacos, burritos or avocado slices. Enjoy your meal!
Chili in the world
If it is true, as it is true that Chili was born on the Texan prairie, it is equally true and tangible to taste the dish in many variations, all tasty and tasty at the right level. In fact, once you have learned the recipe, repeating it and adding ingredients or modifying the traditional one will be child's play! It should be underlined that the real Texan chili does not include tomato puree or beans, the ingredients include beef - proposed as a stew , chili pepper and spices.
As for the chili, Texas chooses to use Ancho Chiles, a very spicy version with a smoky flavor. Given the many variations, creating a personalized version depending on the area of the world therefore becomes necessary, which is why you need to know the starting point to then develop your own recipe.
Chili Sauce, mystery revealed!
Another solution to bring back the fabulous taste of Chili con carne is to add the famous sauce to a well-cooked cut of beef, which adds a spicy touch without distorting the overall flavour. Furthermore, the idea of preparing a chili sauce goes well with both meat and other foods such as salads, fondues or to add an extra touch to homemade finger food.
Even the barbecue lends itself to welcoming Chili sauce with flying colors which, thanks to its spicy touch, manages to do justice to the Maillard reaction sought in perfect cooking. In short, transforming yourself into a cowboy (and cowgirl) next door seems, thanks to the chili con carne recipe, to be a goal that can be reached in - almost - zero time, you just need to add the right ingredients to the cart in our online butcher's shop and patiently wait for their arrival. of the CarneGenuina branded van! Meat, first of all!
