Glen's Green Floater Chili
Big-batch chili with ground beef, cubed steak, and 75 whole chilies floating in the pot. A killer party chili where the green floaters decide how hot your bowl gets.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis is chili built for a serious gathering. Three pounds of ground beef, two pounds of cubed steak, four pounds of beans, 60-some peppers, and enough pot real estate to split between two stockpots if needed. The name refers to the 50 serrano and 25 jalapeño chilies that go into the pot whole and stemmed, floating through the chili as it simmers.
The whole-chili rule is the whole point. Intact pepper skins release just enough capsaicin to flavor the chili without turning it nuclear. Cut a chili open and you’ve unleashed all the heat inside directly into the pot. Individual diners can fish out a floater for their own bowl when they want more heat.
Two to three hours of simmering is the flavor commitment. The spices need time to marry, the chuck needs time to tenderize, and the tomatoes need time to break down into that chili-red gravy. Making it the day before is strongly encouraged. Every chili tastes better the next day.
Chef Tips
- Use thick-skinned chilies like serranos and jalapeños. Thin-skinned chilies (like habaneros) burst during cooking and make the whole pot brutal.
- Add the beans at the end. 30 minutes of reheating is enough, and longer cooking turns beans to mush.
- Taste and adjust the chili powder. 12 tablespoons is a lot for some palates. Start with 8 and work up.
- Make a day ahead, chill overnight, reheat gently. The resting turns good chili into great chili.
Variations
- Serve with chopped onion, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and cornbread on the side.
- Add a bottle of dark beer for a richer, maltier base.
- Stir in a square of dark chocolate or a tablespoon of cocoa at the end for Texas-style depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Start browning the meat in a LARGE pot.
Add the garlic.
Start chopping the vegetables in the order listed and add to the pot as you chop them.
Stir after each addition.
Add the peppers whole. DO NOT CUT UP! If you do, the chili will be brutally hot! Add in the juice from the canned tomatoes, and add the chopped can ned tomatoes.
Simmer all this for 2 to 3 hours. Add in the beans.
Simmer another 30 minutes to heat the beans and serve.
This is best made the day before, refrigerated, and then reheated before serving.
Serve the chile and add a “floater” or two for those who like their food hot.
NOTE: If you get to some point in adding ingredients that your pan starts to overflow, divide what you have into two pans, then split the remaining ingredients between the pots.
HINT: Adjust seasonings to your liking.
Adding more ground red pepper will make it hotter.
Adding more whole chiles will not make the chili itself any more ho tter, but you sure will have more green floaters! BEWARE: You can use other chiles that what I listed, but be very careful that teaspoon he ones you use do not have thin skins or they will break apart during cooking and the chile will be very hot!
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