Recipe#5457

Title: Chili 11

From: David Fetter dfetter@shell4.ba.best.com 
 Newsgroups: net.food.spicy 
 Subject: Re: mmmm. chili :) 
 Date: 14 Sep 1997 21:06:31 GMT 
 Message-ID: <5vhjkn$i4o$1@nntp1.ba.best.com> 

3# lean, tough beef (or venison, etc.), cut in smallish pieces
 1/4 c. olive oil
 1 quart water
 2-4 bay leaves [1]
 8 peppers [2]
 1 Tbsp salt
 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder [3]
 1 button [4] garlic, peeled and finely chopped [5]
 1 tsp each cumin, oregano, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper
 9 Tbsp corn meal
 Sear the meat in the oil until grey.  Add the water and bay leaves, and
 cook 1-1/2 to 2 hours
 Remove the bay leaves, then add everything else except the corn meal
 and simmer 30 minutes.  Stir the corn meal into some cold water to form a
 paste, then add it slowly to the pot with good mixing.  Adjust the
 consistency with more water if desired.
 This chili goes well with separately cooked beans, pasta, rice, eggs,
 or ice cream ;) People have been known to add oyster crackers.
 [1] Fresh if possible
 [2] or more if desired.  I like a 3:1 thai bird pepper to habanero.
 The recipe will still work if you use powdered chiles, or at worst
 "chili powder."
 [3] Don't ask--just do it!
 [4] Buttons are those things you break into cloves.
 [5] A blender, food processor or designated coffee grinder can greatly
 reduce the drudgery of this operation.