Chilli is one of the best dishes I learned in America and one of my favourite times to cook it is November when budgets are a little tight in the period of saving up for Christmas. And with plenty of inexpensive cuts of meat available, this can be an especially economical meal, not to mention one of the tastiest.
For beef chilli I use cuts from the shoulder or leg, which have plenty of flavour and lend themselves to long, slow cooking. And indeed, these are the cuts I would choose for lamb, pork or venison chilli. I have chosen, for this version, to use a mixture of meats, but the recipe can be used for a single meat or any combination. Turkey chilli, for example, is very popular and it is a good use of those giant turkey drumsticks which look like legs of lamb.
Some cooks put beans in chilli, others do not and each claims their chilli to be authentic. A slender budget is sufficient reason to make the meat go further with the addition of pulses. I, generally, cook my chilli in a casserole in the oven. But if it is more convenient, you can cook it quickly in a pressure cooker or alternatively let it cook all day in a slow cooker; in either case, carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions.
How hot to make the chilli is a matter of personal taste. I do not like food that is crammed full of chilli, for two reasons. One is that the rest of the flavours are masked and the other is that very hot chilli ruins your palate for any wine you plan to serve.
Fresh chillies need to be treated with respect and if in doubt as to what kind of chilli you are using, assume it is a hot one until it proves otherwise. My advice is to taste as you go. You can use dried, ground chilli in place of the fresh I have suggested. Of course, you may consider beer or cider a more suitable drink with chilli than wine.
Cornbread and polenta are not very different, both made with ground yellow cornmeal. I have given a recipe for cornbread, as it is a most appropriate accompaniment to chilli, but you might like to serve polenta instead, following the recipe, which you will usually find on the back of the box or packet.
A large bowl of cool, crunchy salad will go down well, with contrasting sweet and bitter flavours. Celery, chicory, radicchio, fennel, kohlrabi and Chinese leaves are all good for eating raw. Alternatively, serve the salad as a first course, as the main course is fairly robust. This is an easy meal to stretch in both directions. It would not be impossible to serve it as a buffet for a dozen or so by doubling up quantities and making plenty of salad and cornbread and two or three puddings. I have included a recipe for coleslaw, as this, too, provides a nice cool contrast to the chilli. It is an infinitely variable recipe. Grated carrots, nuts and chopped apple can also be added.
Chocolate desserts are always popular and most recipes are ideal for entertaining, as they can be prepared the day before required, such as chocolate mousse or chocolate cake, both of which will follow the chilli, as will the biscuits. In addition to any puddings, I would also serve a bowl of tropical fruit salad.
Mixed meat chilli
(Serves 6 to 8)
500g red kidney beans, washed and soaked overnight (or use canned beans)
1kg in all, diced pork shoulder, lamb shoulder and beef flank steak, mixed
2 tbsp olive, or groundnut oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 to 3 fresh green or red chillies, seeded and sliced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 level tbsp fresh marjoram or oregano, or
1/2 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
2 bay leaves
400g can peeled plum tomatoes, or
50g sundried tomatoes, cut into pieces and soaked in 150ml boiling water
Gozo salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Put the beans in a saucepan with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and boil briskly for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans, put back in the pan, cover with the same volume of water, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour.
Meanwhile, trim and dice the meat into very small cubes, which gives a better finish to the dish than mince. Brown the meat in a heavy frying pan. Remove the meat from the pan and put into a casserole. Heat the oil and fry the onions until golden brown.
Add the garlic, spices and herbs and fry these gently for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and cook for a few minutes, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the frying pan. Pour the contents into the casserole, together with the beans and their cooking liquor. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for about 1½ hours.
Taste and season as necessary. Serve with polenta or cornbread.
Cabbage and onion slaw
(Serves 6 to 8)
4 tbsp ricotta
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp grain mustard
1 tsp each celery salt and celery seed
1 large mild onion, peeled and finely chopped or sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
Chopped parsley and thyme
1 medium white cabbage
Blend the first four ingredients until smooth and then stir in the remaining ingredients; having quartered the cabbage, discarded the core and shredded it.
Leave to stand for a few hours to let the flavours develop.
Cornbread
(Serves 6 to 8)
225g plain flour
175g cornmeal or polenta
4 tsp baking powder
1 level tsp Gozo salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
150ml milk
3 tbsp melted butter
Mix the dry ingredients and then stir in the wet ingredients until blended, but do not over-mix. Butter a square roasting tin or cake tin, about 20 cm or the same volume and pour in the mixture. Bake at 220℃, gas mark 7 for 20 to 25 minutes.
Peanut butter biscuits
(Makes about 30 large ones)
100g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g golden caster sugar
200g peanut butter
2 eggs
250g self-raising flour
You can make this in the food processor, first creaming the butter and sugar, then adding the peanut butter. Once you have a smooth mixture, add the eggs and flour alternately and process briefly until well mixed.
On lined baking sheets place heaped tablespoons of the mixture, about 5cm apart, spread them into thick circles and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180℃, gas mark 4 for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven when pale golden brown and carefully transfer with a spatula to wire racks to cool. The cookies will become crisp as they cool. They will still be pliable when you remove them from the baking sheets.
If you like the crunch, you can stir in some crushed toasted peanuts or simply use crunchy peanut butter. These biscuits might even be better with the addition of a few chocolate chips.