Modified Tuscon Jailhouse Chili *Cwb
Submitted by cbritt1
Slow cooker beef chili with pinto beans, six cloves of pureed garlic, green chiles, jalapenos, balsamic vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of chili powder. Cooks low and slow for deep flavor.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
5 hrsThis chili does not mess around. Six tablespoons of chili powder, six cloves of pureed garlic, green chiles, sliced jalapenos, and three teaspoons of cumin. It’s the kind of recipe that fills the whole house with the smell of something serious.
Browning the beef and sautéing the onions and garlic on the stovetop first builds a flavor base the slow cooker can’t create on its own. Then everything goes into the crockpot for 8 hours on low or 4 on high. The balsamic vinegar is the sleeper ingredient. It adds a subtle tang and depth you can’t quite identify in the finished bowl, but you’d miss it if it wasn’t there.
The recipe is even better the next day. Cool it down, refrigerate overnight, and reheat. The flavors meld and intensify in ways that same-day chili never quite achieves.
Chef Tips
- Puree the garlic properly. Crush under a knife blade, dice, add salt, and smash into a paste. Minced garlic just sits in chunks. Pureed garlic distributes through the entire pot.
- Drain the beef well after browning. Excess grease will float to the top during the long cook and make the chili oily.
- Use dried beans for better texture. Soak overnight, boil 10 minutes, then simmer 2 hours before adding. They hold up better than canned over a long cook.
- Top with sharp cheddar, not mild. You need a cheese with enough bite to stand up to all that spice.
Variations
- Turkey chili: Use ground turkey for a leaner version. Brown it well to develop flavor.
- Beer addition: Add 12 ounces of dark beer with the tomatoes for a richer, maltier base.
- Three-bean: Add kidney beans and black beans alongside the pintos for variety.
Ingredients
Directions
Dice onion, and purée garlic.
To purée garlic, put a clove under a knife blade, hit the blade, which will remove the peel, then dice the clove, add a little salt, and crush the diced clove under the blade of a heavy knife until pureed.
Sauté onions in olive oil; when onions clear, add garlic puree.
Stir quickly (less than a minute) to avoid onions browning.
Remove sautéed onions and garlic from skillet.
Brown beef in skillet; drain well.
Add sautéed onions and garlic, stir quickly, then pour into crockpot.
Add all other ingredients and stir.
Cook eight hours on low, four hours on high.
OPTIONAL: Best cooled and re-heated.
Garnish with grated sharp Cheddar cheese and sliced green onions; serve with corn chips.
To use dried instead of canned beans, soak two and two-thirds cups (one pound) pinto or kidney beans overnight in three times their volume of water.
Add salt to the water the next morning, and slowly bring to a boil.
Boil ten minutes, cover, and let simmer for two hours until beans are tender.
Drain before using in recipe.
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