Bub’s CrackPot Chili with Beans By James “Bub” Denning SEE LAST PAGE FOR SHOPPING LIST

Collect all ingredients. Put this into the crock pot immediately o Tomatoes 1 (28 ounce – 3 cups) can San Marzano peeled, diced, fire roasted or whatever you have. o Beans: 3 cans any combination of black/chili/kidney/etc. – drained & rinsed OR 1¼ cups of dried beans. o 1-2 bay leaves o 2 teaspoons “Better than Bullion” o 2 ounces (~1 cup) bread crumbs o ½ cup (Jack’s Cantina) o ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce o 1 teaspoon (Cholula) Hot Sauce (up to 1 tablespoon Texas Pete’s or Frank's RedHot) or to taste o 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke o 1 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes – finely chopped o 1 tablespoon deli style mustard (e.g. Grey Poupon) o 3 carrots – finely chopped o 3 stalks celery– finely chopped Turn on the Crock Pot to LOW and set for 7 HOURS Toss meat with 2 tablespoons water, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda in a bowl until thoroughly combined then rest for 30 minutes.

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Collect the Peppers (use any amount of what’s available) o 1 dried Negro () - (earthy – smoky) o 1 dried Ancho chili pepper - (sweet – smoky – warm) o 1 dried Guajillo chili pepper - (sweet – smoky – warm) o 1 fresh (Ancho dried) pepper – (rich fruity) o 1 fresh Anaheim (California dried)pepper – (fruity - sweet) o 1 fresh any color Bell (or Jimmy Nardello)pepper - (sweet) o ½ fresh Jalapeño (Serrano-Fresno--Hungarian-Arbol) – (hot) o 1-2 en Adobo (dried Jalapeño ) chopped (smoky - hot) chopped

Collect the first batch of Spices in a small bowl. o 2 teaspoons California (Ancho) chili powder o 1 teaspoon ground cumin o 1 teaspoon ground coriander o pinch of cinnamon & allspice & dried basil o 1 teaspoon dried oregano o ½ teaspoon o ½ teaspoon garlic powder o 1 teaspoon smoked o 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

Collect the Meat Preparation Ingredients o 1 lb. ground beef o ½ - 1 lb. bulk Jimmy Dean sausage o ½ lb. (9 - 5”slices) bacon o 3++ cloves garlic o 1 sweet onion – chopped o 1 tablespoon white sugar. o 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste o 1 bottle Modelo Negra beer or ½ cup bone broth for deglazing o 2 tablespoons water, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda to keep the meat moist and tender.

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Making the Base

1. Rip the dried chilis into 1” strips, deseed and place in a skillet over medium-low heat. 2. Gently toast the chilis until fragrant (2 to 3 minutes per side – BE CAREFUL don’t burn) and set aside. 3. Put the dried chilis covered with water into a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. 4. Cover with a paper plate and microware until gently simmering (2½ minutes) 5. Chop the fresh and roasted chilis. 6. Put HALF of the fresh chilis, ALL of the roasted chilis with the microwave boiling water and 1-2 chopped chipotle en adobo into a food processor. 7. Pulse the mixture for about 10-15 seconds until coarsely chopped slurry. 8. Set aside. 9. Put the first batch of dried spices to the skillet and toast for 1 minute and set aside.

Sear the Meat

1. Over medium heat brown the meat with 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. 2. Add browned meat to crock pot without the fat. 3. Discard the water/fat or reduce. 4. Slice the bacon into lardons and in the skillet fry on medium heat. 5. Add bacon to the crock pot without the fat. 6. Save and set aside the rendered fat. 7. Deglaze the skillet using beer or broth and add to the crock pot.

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Assembling the Chili Ingredients

1. Add (3-4 tablespoons or all) of the bacon fat back into the skillet. 2. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar then cook gently for 2 minutes. 3. Stir in toasted spices. 4. Add all the remaining chopped fresh peppers to the skillet and sweat for 3 minutes. 5. Add in the chili slurry from the food processor and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 6. Add this to the crock pot. 7. If necessary add additional ¼ cup liquid (beer, beef/bone stock or chicken stock) to the crock pot.

Collect the DRY Late Additions in a small cup o 1 teaspoon California chili powder o ¼ teaspoon cumin o ½ teaspoon brown sugar o pinch fine salt & ¼ teaspoon pepper o 2 wedges (up to ½-1 disk) Ibarra chocolate (5 wedges = 2 ounces) OR 4-5 tablespoons of unsweetened bakers chocolate. To pulverize the Ibarra chocolate use a paper plate folded in half with the chocolate in it. Insert this in a Ziploc bag and pound with a hammer. o 2-4 tablespoons Masa Harina (in a separate small ramekin) Collect the WET Late Additions in a small cup o 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (beware if shell fish allergies) o 1 tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar o ½ lime juiced o ½ teaspoon chipotle en adobo puree

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Cook the Chili

1. Set the Crock Pot to Low and continue cooking, adding broth or beer if needed. 2. Mix the masa harina in a small bowl with ½ cup or so of gravy from pot and then return to crock pot and mix. 3. Add the remaining wet and dry late additions to the crock pot. 4. Stir to combine and cook for another hour. 5. Remove bay leafs and turn off the crock pot. 6. Can be served immediately, but for best results, transfer, when cooled, into the refrigerator and let it rest (overnight is best).

Pro Tip for Cleaning the Crock Pot

 Cut 1 to 2 slices of crusty bread and tear into chunks.  Thoroughly mop the inside of the pot with the chunks.  Consume the goods.

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How to Cook Dried Beans Reconstitute 1. Put the beans in a saucepan and rinse. 2. Then add at least three times the amount of water to cover. 3. Then bring them gently to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. 4. Take the saucepan off the heat and cover. 5. Allow the beans to remain in the water for 2 to 4 hours.

Cook 6. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans and add fresh water OR chicken stock to cover (for more flavor add 1-2 whole cloves jammed in ½ onion, 4 cloves garlic smashed, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried or 1-3 sprigs fresh thyme and ½ teaspoon dried or 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary). 7. Bring the beans to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for ± 60 minutes until the beans are tender. Check the beans occasionally starting at 50 minutes, because sometimes the beans will cook more quickly. 8. Drain beans and if using stock reserve the cooking liquid 9. Remove onion and cloves, bay leaf and any sticks from the fresh rosemary and thyme.

NOTE: When cooking beans, always simmer. Boiling can cause the cooking liquid to overflow, as well as the beans to break apart and the skins to separate. Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork. 1 cup of dried beans == 3 cups cooked beans. 3 cans ≅ 1¼ cups of dried beans

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Shopping List o 1 dried Negro (Pasilla) pepper o ½ pound bacon o 1 dried Ancho chili pepper o garlic o 1 dried California chili pepper o sweet onion o 1 fresh Poblano (Pasilla) pepper o white sugar o 1 fresh Anaheim pepper o Beans: 3 cans of any type beans o 1 fresh red o 28 ounce can tomatoes o ½ fresh Jalapeno pepper o 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste o 1 chipotle en adobo o carrots o California chili powder (Ancho) o celery o Taco seasoning o “Better than Bullion” or cubes o Worcestershire sauce o bread crumbs o garlic powder o Jack’s Cantina Salsa o dried oregano o Cholula Hot Sauce o ground cumin o Liquid Smoke o dried basil o Sun dried tomatoes o cayenne o Grey Poupon deli style mustard o coriander o beer or low sodium broth o allspice o brown sugar o cinnamon o Asian fish sauce o fine salt - black pepper o Apple Cider vinegar o smoked paprika o 1 lime o 1 pound 80% ground beef chuck o Ibarra (Mexican) chocolate o ½ pound Jimmy Dean sausage o Masa Harina (Mexican corn flour)

For the fresh peppers use whatever is available in the produce section of the supermarket For the dried peppers and chipotle en adobo use whatever is available in the Mexican/Hispanic food section of the supermarket For the dried herbs & spices go to the Mexican/Hispanic section of the supermarket For the canned tomatoes use a 28 ounce can San Marzano peeled, crushed, diced or fire roasted For the canned beans cannellini/black/chili/kidney or whatever

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