Just So You Know…

Ingredients:

 

3 pounds blade steak trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 can pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

1/2 cup commercial chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons cornmeal

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin (toasted and ground)

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

2-1/2 cups chicken stock

2 medium onions

1 small jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed and chopped

3 serrano chile pepper, stems and seeds removed and chopped

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons molasses

1 bottle of beer

Salt and pepper

 

Combine chili powder, cornmeal, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, cocoa, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and mix. With processor running, very slowly add 1/2 cup of stock until smooth paste forms, about 45 seconds. Transfer paste to a small bowl. Place onions in the processor and roughly chop. Add jalapeno and serrano peppers and pulse until consistency of chunky salsa, about four 1 second pulses.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture and cook until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses; stir until chili paste is thoroughly mixed. Add 2 cups stock and drained beans and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Pat meat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides and transfer to the Dutch oven. Add the bottle of beer to the skilled and scrape brown bits, stir to combine and add to the dutch oven. Stir the mixture and return it to a simmer.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until meat is fully tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Let chili stand about 10 minutes and season with salt if needed.

Serve with condiments including: shredded cheese, avocado, chopped red onions, lime wedges and sour cream.

 

 

Double Batch

Seasoning Mix:

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ pounds medium peeled shrimp (or more)

 

Ingredients:

1 pound andouille sausage (cut into ¾” slices)

1 pound chicken breast (cut into 1” cubes)

1 pound crabmeat (optional because expensive)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

4 cups finely chopped onions

2 cups finely chopped green onions (tops & bottoms)

1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

½ finely chopped jalapeno

1 or 2 finely chopped chili peppers (mild like Serrano)

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

4 bay leaves

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups Uncle Bens converted rice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper vinegar

Note: Use your judgment with peppers…will get hotter as it cooks and leftovers will be hotter. This recipe might be too hot for some people so you might want to use less peppers and add later if needed.

 

Night before serving: Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a bowl and coat the shrimp (not crab). Squeeze in with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven on low heat. Add the tomato sauce and turn heat to high. Stir constantly until mixture turns dark and red oil pools out in puddles (about 8 to 12 minutes). Scrape bottom so it doesn’t scorch. Stir in onions, green onions, peppers, parsley, garlic, thyme, chicken and sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, rice, pepper vinegar, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and then lower heat to slow simmer. Test the spicy heat and add more vinegar pepper and/or jalapeno if desired. Cover and cook without stirring for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender but firm.

At this point you can remove some Jambalaya for the “seafood intolerant people.”

Stir in the shrimp and crab and simmer until shrimp are almost cooked. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez!