Thanks!
So many recipes - we are 43 weeks in for this year and the wonderful recipes keep coming!
I think on the 52nd week I’ll post a huge listing of all the recipes from the full year....categorized for easy look-up - hopefully the thread will look like a Gigantic Online Free Republic Cook Book.
Yes, please!
Great idea! Thank you. I have enjoyed these threads very much.
Easy Football Party Chili
1 46 oz. can V-8 juice
1 medium yellow onion, well chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, well chopped
other peppers, well chopped, to taste (see note 1)
1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground beef (or you could use ground sirloin, if you're feeling expansive...)
too much fresh finely chopped garlic or minced garlic in oil
fresh ground black pepper
not-quite-fresh ground cumin (see note 2)
In 4 qt or larger pot, heat V-8 to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until 10-15% reduced. When nearly reduced to desired level, spoon off any tomato scuzz and add several grinds of black pepper, 2-3 cloves' worth of the chopped garlic, and a couple of teaspoons of cumin (trust me, it'll all work out). Stir well.
While simmering, halfway brown the ground beef/sirloin, drain fat, add 1 tsp cumin and 2 more cloves garlic, stir in well and brown for another 2 mins or so.
Add beef to stockpot when reduction to desired level is reached. Again, add black pepper, garlic and cumin as before. Cover and simmer 20 minutes on low heat, stirring once or twice.
Remove cover and taste. **Probably** much of the cumin will have degraded at this point. So, add more. And more garlic. And simmer another 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. If serving immediately (it's better to wait about an hour; the flavours blend much better), do so with bowls of shredded cheese and chopped onions and oyster crackers.
If serving tomorrow (hint, hint...), cover and refrigerate. Reheat slowly, starting about 30 minutes before desired serving. Serve as above.
The relative overuse of garlic and cumin will produce a nice tangy flavour that is not "hot" at all. As a bonus, any vampires in the neighbourhood are guaranteed to be getting out their passports.
The recipe can be multiplied to any quantity with no problems (well, except that you may need a bigger pot).
Note 1: you absolutely can make this w/o any other peppers, but if you want more peppers here, I'd recommend serranos, Fresnos, or Louisiana redstrings (cayennes).
Note 2: if you grind your own spices, which I do, let fresh ground cumin stand overnight before putting into a closed jar. The rind of the seed, when ground, gives off a pungent and sour smell which, fortunately, goes away completely in a few hours.
Go Broncos! (uhh, that's Boise State, not Denver, please!)