Name: Chili con Carne
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 kg minced meat, I use beef; 3 cans chopped tomatoes; 200 g celeriac or 2 celeriac stalks; 2 onions; 2 medium carrots; 2 red peppers; 2 cans kidney beans; 2 garlic cloves; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 200ml red wine; 200 ml broth; 3 Tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Tbsp fresh thyme -if you only can get dried thyme, thats also fine!; 1 tsp salt; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp sambal oelek or your favourite chili paste; fresh ground pepper

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Who doesn’t love a good homemade Chili con Carne? I do not know anyone, do you?

A good Chili is always great to serve when you have a party, as the longer it cooks, the better it gets!

Just serve it with some Baguette and sour cream and you are good to go!

And if you have leftovers, you can make it the next day with some Nachos or maybe even some Tacos? Hmmm- perfect for movie night or lazy dinner. That’s why it fit so perfectly in my food for days category, as it’s meal planning as its best!

But as with every traditional dish, most of you will have your own perception of a good chili. Or what goes in there. When I grew up- pre internet-, my Chili used to be- no kidding- made with “Maggi fix for Chili Con Carne”. It’s a ready made spice mix which we used back then. But please don’t tell anyone 🙂

Luckily nowadays there are some really cool spice blends available, however I stumbled upon a different recipe years ago. And I would love to share my version with you, as it really is a fabulous chili!

But what is actually the definition of Chili con carne?

Chili con carne means literally “chili with meat”, it is a spicy stew containing chili peppers (sometimes in the form of chili powder), meat (usually beef), tomatoes and kidney beans, originating from Mexico.

Sometimes I add a can of corn as well as I love it- and yes I am aware that it goes to the same sin box as well as adding pineapples to a pizza. 🙂 Busted! But I love corn and the color it gives to the dish!

Can the Chili be reheated?

Oh absolutely! That’s why I always make a big batch straight away! And honestly, it’s one of those dishes which just tastes better the next day.

Most of the times I freeze my chili in portions, so I have it whenever I fancy having a chili con carne. To defrost, I simply put it in a small pot with a dash of water and then I reheat it.

This Chili con Carne is super easy to make and the fresh thyme combined with the spices really makes a difference.

But with chilli, you have to be careful with the sambal oelek paste though- it sure is spicy! I always add a bit more towards the end of the cooking time to achieve the perfect spiciness for my taste buds. So please feel free to add or to use a bit less. As everyone has their own definition of spice- and how much they can handle.

love

sabrina x

Chili con Carne

It get’s better with time!

moderate

Prep time:
20 minutes
Cook time:
3 hours
Total time:
3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

8 servings

1 kg	minced meat, I use beef
3	cans chopped tomatoes
200 g	celeriac or 2 celeriac stalks
2	onions
2	medium carrots
2	red peppers
2	cans kidney beans
2	garlic cloves
2	Tbsp tomato paste
	200ml red wine
200 ml	broth
3	Tbsp Olive Oil
1	Tbsp fresh thyme -if you only can get dried thyme, thats also fine!
1	tsp salt
2	tsp cumin
1	tsp sambal oelek or your favourite chili paste
	fresh ground pepper

Steps of preparation

Bring a big pot to heat and add the oil.
Cook the minced meat in 2 or 3 portions, depending on the size of your pot.
You want the meat to be crumbly and to get a bit of colour.
In the meantime, cut all your veggies in small cubes. Except the kidney beans. 🙂
Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celeriac to the minced meat in the hot pot.
Add the tomato paste and let it cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slowly pour 1/3 of the wine in the pot.
Let it reduce for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the rest of the wine, the broth, and the cans of chopped tomatoes.
Add the thyme, salt, cumin, and the chopped peppers.
Add the sambal oelek and let it cook on low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained kidney beans and add them in the pot.
Season to taste with some more chilli and salt- but be careful with the sambal oelek