A few weeks back, I stayed overnight at my friend Karen's house. Kind of a girl's staycation while her husband went pheasant hunting out West. We went for a long walk on a beautiful trail, shopped at the local stores in her town, drove out to a favorite antique gift store in Indiana, watched an episode of "Slow Horses" and, of course, ate. It was a fun, memorable 36 hours. But the most memorable part was having a large bowl of her homemade chili for dinner. It was unlike any chili I had ever tasted or made before. In all seriousness, I could have probably eaten two bowls of the chili, not because I was still hungry, but because my palate wanted to remember the combination and depth of flavors. I knew after the first couple of bites I absolutely had to have her 'family' recipe.
There are six chili recipes on the blog (Red Chicken Chili, Texas Style Chili, Beef and Bean Chili, Beef Chili, Chipotle Turkey Chili, Three Bean Chili). Now there are seven. This one being lucky number seven. Although this chili recipe shares some of the same of ingredients as the others, this one has some palate surprisers! And while there are 19, yes 19, ingredients in the chili recipe, 12 are there just for the flavor. Which means you want to, no you absolutely must, make it with every single ingredient in order to achieve what may be the most unforgettable bowl of chili. It's possible you won't have all of the spice ingredients on hand, however, don't let that be a deterrent to making this chili recipe. Because I promise, once you make this Best Ever Chili, your investment in new spices will be worth every penny spent. As this may be the only chili recipe you make from here on out.
When assembling all of the ingredients for the chili, I discovered that finding a 15 ounce can of tomato puree is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Instead, I used a 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (and now I won't ever go on the hunt for that sized can of tomato puree again). I neglected to ask Karen what kind of beer she used when she made the chili, so I went down the rabbit hole to learn if there are 'best' kinds of beers to use when making chili. As it turns out, there are. But first, for those of you who aren't huge fans of beer, let me give you the strong arguments why beer is an essential ingredient in many chili recipes, especially this one. Beer adds value to the chili. Not only does it help tenderize the meat, it adds body, texture and a depth of flavor you will not get from 'water' or 'light beers'. While there may not be any bad beers to add to the chili, the type of beer you add in will have an impact on its flavor and texture. So as far as beer goes there are highly favored and least favored ones. Least favored are the light beers as they lack flavor complexity and texture. Highly flavored are the darker beers, like ales and stouts. I used Guinness Draught Stout because of its flavor profile (beer, coffee, chocolate) along with its roasted flavor, creamy texture, and its ability to bring out spicy flavors more than other dark beers. For me, this was the perfect choice.
You might wonder why any chili recipe would call for the use of Aromatic Bitters. The short answer is that they are a flavor and aroma intensifier, add depth and complexity and essentially play the salt and pepper role. The use of Aromatic Bitters might be one of the ingredients you consider a surprise, but as far as surprises go, this is a really good one! Note: You do not want to use Orange Bitters!
Allowing the chili to simmer for at least two hours is key to developing its flavor. And simmering is one of the things responsible for making chili taste even better the next day. So, when you make this chili for the first time, I highly recommend you make it the day before you want to serve it. Because as delicious as it is the day it is made, it's insanely delicious on the second day.
If you are looking for a new chili recipe, make this one!! Other than serving it for family dinners, this is the one you want to serve when inviting friends over for dinner or having a girl's night in, It's also perfect for weekend game day watching. As far as hearty, comfort food goes, especially in chilly weather, chili ranks pretty high up there!
Best Ever Chili aka Karen's Chili
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef (85/15), crumbled
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1b. 12 oz (794g) can peeled whole tomatoes, with juice (do not drain)
15 oz (425g) crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
2 cans (15.5 oz/454g) light and/or dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed (see notes)
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons Aromatic Bitters
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Guinness or a dark beer of choice (see notes)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon crushed Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Serving recommendations: sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos, sliced green peppers, sliced avocado, corn bread, biscuits, thick slices of sourdough bread, etc.
Directions
1. In a large Dutch oven, brown the crumbled ground beef (leaving some small sized chunks).
2. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until the onions have softened.
3. Add in all of the remaining ingredients (peeled tomatoes w/juice, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, Worcestershire sauce, Aromatic Bitters, Guinness, beef bouillon cube, Aleppo pepper, chili powder, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, thyme, oregano, basil and Kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
4. Immediately reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking uncovered for at least 2 hours. Remove bay leaves.
5. Serve immediately with your favorite chili toppings. OR let cool, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to further develop. Reheat when getting ready to serve.
6. To freeze chili, put in sealed containers and store in the freezer.
Notes: (1) You can use all dark kidney beans, all light kidney beans or a combination of both. I used a can of each. (2) The beer you choose will matter. I would highly recommend a Guinness Stout Lager sold either in the bottle or can. If you buy the bottles you will need to add a smidge of water as the bottles are just shy of 12 ounces. (3) You can freeze this chili. Just make sure it's well packaged before placing in the freezer.