Flat Snake Chili
Submitted by jjm2142
Beef and sausage chili built on a scratch-made ancho chile sauce, with green chiles, tomato, cumin and Mexican oregano. Rehydrated dried anchos give it deep, smoky flavor you can dial up to taste. No beans.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsDo not let the playful name throw you. This is a serious bowl of beef-and-sausage chili built on a from-scratch ancho chile sauce. That sauce is the whole point: dried ancho chilies get soaked soft in boiling water, then blended smooth into a deep, smoky, faintly fruity base that powdered chili cannot touch.
Two meats give it body. German sausage and lean ground beef are browned together, so you get both the richness of the sausage and the familiar heartiness of beef in every spoonful.
Green chilies, tomato, cumin, paprika and Mexican oregano round it out, and a splash of beer or water keeps it loose as it simmers.
The smart touch is adding the ancho sauce in stages, half to start and then more to taste, so you control the heat and depth. Then simmer it low and long, until, as the recipe puts it, you cannot stand it any longer.
Pro Tips
- Soak the anchos until fully soft before blending, so the sauce comes out smooth rather than gritty.
- Add the ancho sauce gradually and taste as you go. It is easy to add more depth and impossible to take it back.
- Brown the sausage and beef well and drain the excess grease so the chili is not oily.
Variations
- Stir in pinto or kidney beans if you prefer a bean chili.
- Use chorizo or a spicier sausage for more heat.
- Simmer with a bottle of dark beer for a richer, maltier base.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the stems from the anchos and remove seeds.
Cover with boiling water and let sit for an hour. Blend in blender until smooth.
Dice the sausage, onions and garlic, then sauté over medium heat until onions are soft.
Drain off the oodles of lucious sausage grease (if you must!) and add the ground beef to the pot to brown.
Dice the green chilies and tomatoes.
Add the vegetables and spices to the pot. Add half the ancho sauce and water or beer to barely cover.
Add more ancho sauce over time to suit your taste.
Simmer until you can’t stand it.
Comments
best chili recipe...been making it for years..
I've added sun dried tomatoes and a few other things..different each time...the basic is always excellent
I found this recipe 20 years ago, and it’s great. My one change is substituting the German sausage with bratwurst (casing removed). You HAVE to use beer instead of water. I’ve found Corona works best, and I’ve tried everything from Lone Star to chocolate stouts.