Serendipity's Southern Chili
Submitted by kimmy
Big-batch Southern chili with 4 pounds of ground beef, kidney beans, ground dried chiles, and cumin simmered up to 8 hours. Feeds 8 and gets better the longer it cooks.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
8 hrsREADY
8 hrsY’all, this chili means business.
Four pounds of ground beef, 12 tablespoons of ground dried chile, three tablespoons of cumin, and a tablespoon each of black pepper and salt. It’s bold, beefy, and doesn’t apologize for any of it.
The meat gets seasoned and browned in butter (yes, butter, because this is Southern cooking), then simmers with whole canned tomatoes and kidney beans for anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. The longer it goes, the deeper the flavor.
This recipe feeds 8 generously and only gets better as leftovers.
Kitchen Tips
- Brown the meat in batches so it actually sears instead of steaming. Four pounds is a lot of beef for one pot.
- The recipe calls for ground dried chiles, not standard chili powder. There’s a big difference in heat and depth. Look for ancho or New Mexico chile powder for the best flavor.
- Simmer uncovered so the liquid reduces slowly and the chili thickens naturally over those long hours.
- A tablespoon of sugar isn’t sweetness. It balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the heat.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent.
Combine the meat with the ground chile, cumin, garlic, and pepper.
Add this meat-and-spice mixture to the pot.
Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned.
Stir in the remainig ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for at least 4 hours but as many as 8 if possible.
Stir occasionally.
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