Classic Homemade Chili Recipe
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Here's my all purpose Chili Sauce Recipe. You can cook it up for hot dogs, chili cheese fries, and even Carolina Style Hamburgers
Serve with: a porter or stout.
Course:
Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine:
American
Makes:
Servings: servings
Takes:
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin or lamb or mixed
- 1 large onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons American chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons inexpensive balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Notes:
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
Controversial. Now this mix-in has been known to start fights, so I offer it without opinion, but many hot dog chili sauces have beans in them. If that's the way you like it, then just add a 15 ounce can of drained and rinsed pinto beans.
To make kick butt Sloppy Joes. Stir in 1/4 cup Kansas City style BBQ sauce.
Metric conversion:
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
- Prep. Chop the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
- In a small bowl assemble the dry ingredients: American chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, mustard, ginger, salt, and pepper. In another bowl mix the wet ingredients: Water, Worcestershire, tomato paste, vinegar, and hot sauce.
- Cook. Crumble the meat into a medium hot pan that is not non-stick. Stir it around and break it up with a wooden spoon until it is tan all over, about 15 minutes. Keep it simmering until all the water evaporates and the meat begins to fry. You'll hear it sizzle and it will start turning dark brown. Push the meat to one side of the pan. Add the onions and peppers to the bare metal side of the pan and fry them for about 5 minutes until the onions are limp. Add the garlic and fry it for 1 minute. Mix everything together.
- Push everything to one side and add the olive oil on top of the bare metal and then pour the spices on the oil to allow their oil-soluble flavors to bloom in the oil for about 1 minute. Mix the spices in with everything else.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix. Let everything simmer on medium low with the lid off for up to an hour. If it dries out, add more water. Cook it down to the whatever thickness you like. I like mine on the crumbly side, not the drippy side as they do in Detroit and Cinci.
- Serve. Serve the chili in a bowl with any variety of toppings including diced onion, grated cheddar cheese, jalapeno slices, and sour cream. Or use on hot dogs, burgers, baked potatoes, and so much more.