Super Bowl

Of chili obviously.



I mean, go Saints!



But really, I'm all about the food. In honor of the Super Bowl and in search of chili meat, Sarah and I took a trip to The Meat Hook (even though Mike already had a few pounds of their house-made bratwurst in the refrigerator). While we perused our options, Tom Mylan was shuttling trays of ribs and chicken from the smoker to the counter. As each new platter arrived, the lovely butchers sliced off samples for those of us salivating on the side lines. Honestly, the chicken was one of the best things I've ever EVER tasted.

So back to the meat, we ended up with four pounds of bright red (but dotted with white) ground steak for the chili and two smoked chicken legs for snacking. At home, having both done some research, we combined a few different chili recipes and below is what we came up with - flavorful, spicy, meaty, tomato-ey, all around yummy. Sometimes chili is just a vehicle for its accompaniments, but this chili was not that. It stood proudly on its own. We did serve it with grated some cheddar, cubed avocado, crunchy corn chips, and Ina's corn muffins. The muffins, by the way, were a huge hit - great with chili and also the next morning for breakfast!


Jalapeños and garlic for the chili, Chopped


Simmering away for hours...


Dry ingredients and melting butter for the corn muffins


Batter, Mixed


Muffins, Baked


Dinner is served!


Mike's bratwurst was boiled in beer with onions then grilled and served with braised cabbage, many different kinds of mustard, and Balthazar rye bread from The Garden.

Also...

This was Kuba's first Super Bowl


Cozing out

Making Chili...

4 lbs Coarsely Ground Steak
5 Medium Onions, chopped
5 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3 Big Jalapeño Peppers, chopped
4 tbsp (Awesome) Chili Powder
3 tbsp Dried Oregano
2-3 tbsp Paprika
1-2 tbsp Coriander
3-4 tbsp Cumin
1-2 tbsp Aleppo pepper (optional)
2 28 oz Cans Whole Plum Tomatoes (with juice)
4.5 oz Double Concentrate Tomato Paste
1 can Black Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Season the meat generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven. In batches, brown the meat and set aside. In the same pan, add onions and cook until they are translucent. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Add peppers, spices (chili powder, oregano, paprika, coriander, cumin, Aleppo), and tomato paste and cook for two more minutes. Add tomatoes and meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 2 hours. Add beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve!