When you first bite into one of these you are greeted with a wonderfully complex pickling spice combination. Then the heat sets in, a lovely complex pairing of jalapeños and crushed red pepper flakes. With a nice semi-crunchy texture and enough asparagus flavor shining through the spices to make sure you know what you’re devouring.
These are a great snack, a wonderful compliment to any relish tray, or even just a quick grab with a Go-To, these little fire stix’s bring it in a big way.
Start with 2 pounds skirt steak (cut into smaller pieces to fit snug on bottom or pot)
Juice 1 lime
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
7 clove diced garlic
2 tsp oregano (use dried)
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2-3/4 tsp pepper.
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (this is the magic)
To make the rub-
Mix together all dry ingredients then all lime juice.
Cut
steak into smaller hunks so you can fit them on the bottom of
crockpot.(they will not fit perfectly-don’t worry). Rub the meat on
both sides.. Then place into crock.. Sprinkle the garlic on top with
cilantro.. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.. Shred meat and reserve the
juice.. ***Word to the wise** Try the meat before putting on table for
family.. If you have a hard time chewing cut into smaller piece
especially for the kids.
You can serve the steak on soft tortillas with the fixings like tacos.
You can place meat on a roll and eat like a slider or you can make a veggie side and mashed potato.
I am a 4th generation Texan. I am passionate about Chili. Many regional dishes around the world can vary in their composition and can spur great debate regarding authenticity. Chili is no different. Some Texans will tell you that Chili has beans in it (they are wrong and we will get to this in a moment). Others will tell you the opposite. It seems that every Texan has their own way of preparing this most sacred dish. But the agreed upon fact is that Chili is a thickened stew-like dish of meat and spices.
I have done much research on the origins of Chili. During the early cattle drives of the southwest, near Texas and Mexico, it was common for the cooks to gather wild herbs and chilis growing along the trails. Beef being readily available on the cattle drives, would be a common source of protein for the cowboys and vaqueros, and naturally added to something that could simmer for long periods of time and hold after cooking without spoiling quickly. Wild game, also being common, would sometimes find it’s way into the pot. So it seems that some of the earliest origins of Chili trace back to the region of Texas and Mexico with the concoction evolving naturally around locally available ingredients.
Imagine my surprise when I find that the true origins of Chili precede this era of cattle drives and cowboys. I was stunned when my research led me to the Holy Bible and the book of Genesis. If we read Genesis 1:25 we find the following passage: “…God made the beasts of the earth, according to their kinds, the livestock, according to their kind…and God saw that it was good. ” So God, of course, made the cattle from which we get beef. But if we read further to 1:26 we find the following passage: “…then God said ‘Well, I just made all these here plants, peppers, cows, and stuff. I reckon I gotta plunk some cowboy down there to deal with it all. Probably oughta give him a cowgirl, too. And so god made man and woman to populate and manage the world he had just created. And man and woman toiled the land hard and God was pleased. So he descended upon the earth and showed his cowboy and cowgirl how to make Chili, a dish of seasoned meat and chilis from which God had selected his most precious harvest. And man and woman were well fed and happy. And God returned to his heaven and was happy.” Chapter 1:27 continues: “And on the eight day God saw what he had made and was happy with his Chili. And God began to rest, but then farted, and remembered ‘Gosh dang it, I forgot to make the bean! Ah heck, I’ll do it tomorrow. Right now I gotta take a dump and a nap. That Chili I made ripped right through me and I’m tired.” So we can see that in the holy order of the universe Chili actually preceded the bean. The first actual bowl of Chili was made by God himself and it was made without beans.
I was glad that the debate over beans in Chili was finally settled. Chili is of divine origin and does not contain beans. Over the millennia other local, and logical, ingredients have made their way into the dish. Tomatoes are acceptable. Onions are nearly required. But don’t tell me that you can put cinnamon in your Chili and serve it over spaghetti. That’s not Chili, that’s spaghetti sauce. What about chicken, you ask? That’s spicy chicken stew. Vegetarian Chili? Nope nope nope. How about Chili with tofu? How about we get a rope?
So after many years of tireless research and countless pots of ‘Texas Red’, I have decided to unleash my recipe to the masses. The world needs to hear, nay, the world need to KNOW the gospel of Chili. And I must take it upon myself to be the Moses of Chili, to carry the beer, part the crowded kitchen and show the one true way to this most holy of culinary creations.
Texas Chili
1 Large Yellow Onion, diced small
4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
3-8 Serrano Peppers, depending on heat level, minced
5 TBSP Ancho Chile Powder (more if desired)
3 TBSP Chimayo Chile Powder (more if desired)
2 TBSP Cumin
2 tsp Paprika (smoked, if you can get it)
1 TBSP Fresh Oregano, chopped
2 bottles Quality Brown Ale (Shiner Bock works well)
1 can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Square Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (Ghirardelli if you can find it)
2 TBSP All Natural Almond Butter
Masa or Cornstarch slurry to thicken
Salt & Pepper to taste
* Spice quantities are approximate and can be adjusted to suit your taste. ** Acceptable meat substitutes are venison and bison.
Directions
1) Assemble all your ingredients and prep them (chop vegetables, season meat, etc.).
2) Preheat a large pan or Dutch oven over high heat and sear the meat well on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
3) Sauté the vegetables in the beef fat (add a little oil if needed).
4) Add the aromatics and spices. Sauté until fragrant and well blended
5) Begin adding the beer and allow to boil, cooking off some of the alcohol. Then add the crushed tomatoes.
6) Submerge the meat in the liquid, bring to a simmer, and cover and cook for 3-4 hours. The meat should be fork tender.
7) Remove the meat, allow it to cool, and shred it.
8) Continue simmering the liquid. This is where I add my Secret Weapon ingredients. Molé is a complex Mexican sauce made with bitter chocolate and nuts. In a nod to the Mexican heritage of Chili I add just a touch of unsweetened chocolate and almond butter. The deep, earthy flavors help round out the sharp edges and add that bit of umami. You should also thicken the Chili at this point, using your masa or cornstarch slurry.
9) Add the shredded meat to the Chili and stir well. Check the seasoning and add salt & pepper if needed.
If you can wait, it’s nice to let the Chili sit overnight so that the flavors can meld. It makes a most excellent Frito Pie but is just fine in a bowl topped with cheese, sour cream, and diced onions. Side of cornbread is optional. Chili should be consumed with beer, iced tea, or Big Red. Now, go forth, perfect your Chili, and preach the gospel.
Cut beef into1-inch cubes. Lightly dust beef with flour. Put oil for frying in10-gallon pot over medium-high heat and fry beef until brown. Dice onions and add stir until translucent. Crush garlic, add and fry briefly. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low. Add beef stock and simmer 45 minutes. Add chiles, cumin, tomato puree and hot sauce. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Dice tomatoes and shred carrots. Add brown sugar, tomatoes and carrots and simmer 10minutes. Add chocolate, stir well and simmer 20 minutes. Beans may be added if desired. Serve with rice and spurs. Makes 24 servings (“for Texans, or 40 for regular folks”).
(I cut this in half for me and my wife, and it still makes a lot!!) ¼ cup = 4 Tbs 1 qt = 4 cups
20oz fresh Tortellini (or dry if you can’t get fresh)
Parmesan,
for serving
1 In a large stock pot brown and crumble your Italian
sausage until the pink is just cooked out.
Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside on a plate with a paper
towel on it. Leave some of your
drippings in the pot, but remove the rest.
2 Chop your Onion.
Add the chopped onion to the pot with the drippings and sauté over med
low heat for about 5 min or until the onion is translucent. Add your minced garlic and sauté for 2 more
min.
3 Return the Italian sausage, add your stock and water to
the pot and bring to a boil.
4 If you have never prepared Kale before there
are a few steps. First you must wash
each stalk of Kale thoroughly. Kale is
grown is sandy regions and often sand will stick to the curly leaves. After the leaves are washed, cut the stalk
out of each leaf. Then bunch together
all your kale leaves. Push them down and
holding them tightly, slice them into strips.
The a rough chop to reduce the size abit more. Add your chopped kale to the boiling pot and
reduce to simmer for about 30min. When
cooked the kale should be bright green and soft (but still firm). Now is a good time to taste and season your
soup.
5 Add your Tortellini and cook according to the package -2 min.
6 Add your heavy cream, taste and season again
if needed, and serve. I like to add a
few dashes of Parmesan to my bowl.
My kids love this
soup and frequently ask for it. Give it
a try, I think it’s easy to make and delish.
Please excuse the dark pictures because I was hiding from my boss in the porta-potty
If you’re like me, then you eat food, and if so, then you’re always looking for something quick and easy, and hopefully not at the YMCA.
It’s pretty hard to find soup that’s any good for you, but I subscribe to the belief that everything is bad for you now, and so on that note, this soup isn’t as bad as a lot of other crap.
I recently went to the store and bought a bunch of these soups, because I drive a tractor around marijuana fields all day, and these cans stand up well to being cooked on the exhaust manifold of a John Deer.
Just be sure to poke a hole in the can if you use my method, or else the can could explode and cause an embarrassing conversation with HR. Anywho…
While perusing the vareyeatie of flavors, I spotted this gem, and of course, since driving a tractor around pretty much goes hand and hand with beer, it seemed like a good choice.
The can lists one serving as 200 calories, but unless you’re a gerbil, you’ll be going for the whole can and that will earn you 420 calories.
Yes it has salt… OMG if one more nut sack complains about salt in soup…
Anyway… it has 75% of your daily sodium intake, so you may cancel your trip to the local salt lick after you’ve eaten this.
14g of Protein.
No Trans fat.
Actually tastes like beer.
Low cholesterol, sugar, and sat fat.
I also dumped in a bunch of hot chili powder and I loved it. I definitely plan on having a lot more of this soup and I hope that Campbells keeps making it. If you do cook it on your exhaust like I do, I cannot stress enough that hole thing I told you about earlier.
