Hot and Spicy Chili

[Cider]

Cajun Chili

For Roux:

•   1 cup extra virgin olive oil
•   1 cup flour

Main Ingredients:

•   1 - 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
•   1 - 28 oz. can of tomato sauce
•   3 - tbsp packed brown sugar
•   3 - tbsp chili powder
•   1 - tsp cayenne pepper
•   1 - tsp cinnamon
•   1 - tsp ground cumin
•   2 - bay leaves
•   1 lb of venison or pork sausage (hot, medium, or sweet Italian)
•   1 ½ lbs course ground beef or venison
•   1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
•   2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
•   1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
•   1 - 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans
•   2 - 15 oz. cans of kidney beans
•   1 - 15 oz. can of black beans

Optional items:

•   Tabasco sauce (red, green, or both)
•   Orange habanero, red habanero, chipotle peppers
•   Jalapeρo peppers
•   Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers for color
•   Ό cup tomato paste (add to enhance a robust tomato flavor)
•   Substitute canned crushed tomatoes with 5 cups diced vine ripened tomatoes

In a 7 quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil and add the vegetables.  Sautι until they begin to wilt.  Stir in the sausage, ground meat, garlic, a dash of Tabasco sauce (if desired), cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder.  Stir occasionally until the meat is browned.

Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed or fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Bring liquid to a boil and stir thoroughly.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Simmer uncovered on medium low heat for approximately 1½ hours.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the olive oil and stir in flour; stir continuously.  When roux is a golden color (blond roux), remove from heat.  Be careful not to burn the roux!  Slowly add to the chili stirring constantly until desired thickness is achieved.  Continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or so.

If desired, serve over long grain brown rice or tortilla chips and garnish chili with shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, sour cream, and Jalapeρo peppers.  Add a generous hunk of hot buttered corn bread on the side!

You can add various hot chile peppers to spice it up and add color for presentation!  Just play around with it until you are happy with the outcome.  Adjust the spices to suit your individual tastes!  I never make it the same way twice.   

[Jigwiggler]

Mmmmm! You've got my mouth watering now!  Nothing better than a hot bowl of chili after a long day on the water or ice.  I like my chili spicy but those habaneros are insane.   Very similar to my recipe.  I substitute more tomatoe paste in place of the sause to make it thicker.  Double up on the Cayenne and Cumin and delete the cinnimon. 

For something different,

 - start with a bed of rice
 - crumble one large handfull of Doritos over rice
 - add 1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice
 - top generously with home brewed chili

[Cider]

Well, the secret to a good spicy chili is the red sauce base.  You need the brown sugar and cinnamon to compliment the heat from the various peppers.  You really won't notice the flavor of the cinnamon once everything else is added.  Also try playing around with peanut butter.  The oil in the PB will put out the fire in your mouth and it adds and interesting flavor to the chili.

What ever you do, don't try to counteract capsacin from the chile peppers with water.  It will only make things worse.  You need something with a lipid base like peanut butter, milk, cheese, sour cream, etc.

The tomato paste will help thicken to an extent, but it is really intended to explode the tomato flavor of your sauce.  The roux is the key ingredient to thicken the chili.  Works well in gumbo too.

I have made this chili so darn hot in the past that I couldn't even eat it.     I usually like foods to be really spicy!

[Jigwiggler]

Don't get me wrong, I like it hot!!    I tried adding home grown haberneros once and couldn't even eat it.  My wife wouldn't even stay in the house while it was cooking!  She said it was burning her nose and eyes!  She does not like hot or spicy foods though.  I've never heard of peanut butter for a chili recipe.  I like chili, I like peanut butter so it can't be that bad.  I'll have to give it a try.  Maybe right now! 

[Cider]

I tried adding home grown haberneros once and couldn't even eat it.  My wife wouldn't even stay in the house while it was cooking!  She said it was burning her nose and eyes! 

How funny!  One year I got the urge (bright idea) to make my own crushed red pepper.  Over the winter I grew every variety of hot chile that I could get my hands on.  When they were ready to harvest, I hung them in the kitchen to dry and act as decoration.


After a while they were ready to be crushed.  I got the bright idea to use my wife's Oscar food processor!  After about five habaneros I had a cloud of capsacin dust haging in the entire apartment!  I was choking, gasping, and wheezing to catch my breath.  My eyes watered and swelled shut!  I had to sit outside for several hours to wait for the dust to clear!  What a mistake that was.

But, let me tell you... I probably have some of the hottest crushed red pepper on the planet!!  I made so much of it that even now almost six years later I am still using it and it is just as hot as ever!! 

btw - I like to slice up raw habaneros and put them on my bagel and cream cheese.  The more tears the better!!  I love endorphins!!

[Jigwiggler]

LOL! I bet it hung around for a while too.  Fine dust like that tends to stick to everything during the low humidity/high static conditions of winter.

btw - I like to slice up raw habaneros and put them on my bagel and cream cheese.  The more tears the better!!  I love endorphins!!

I like to add them to a western omelet.

[Trophy Hunter639]

MMMMan does that sound good thanks for posting the rcipie Cider .