Tex-Mexican Chili

The list of ingredients looks long, but it is mostly seasonings.  I’m not very good at dicing the vegetables, but once that’s done putting it together is a snap. 

Once you've bought the seasonings it's also a fairly cheap meal.  The first time you buy them it can cost an arm and a leg!

I also love to make it as colorful as possible, so I’ve used purple onions, extra green peppers, etc.  But I have been told that all onions are the same once they are cooked (the chemical reaction releases the flavors so that strong or mild onions are about the same once cooked, mild), so it really doesn’t matter what kind you use.

I use a mixture of brown and wild rice to serve this over, but my sister prefers crackers.  Don’t forget cheese and/or sour cream, they reduce the heat from the peppers (if some people like their chili hotter than others do!).

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped (1 heaping cup)

3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon) [I use more, but I love garlic]

1 green pepper, chopped

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (wear rubber gloves), or 2 tablespoons chopped canned hot peppers (jalapeño or green chilies) [I failed to use gloves once and paid for it dearly.  One jalapeño isn’t hot enough for me, so I used a hotter pepper.  I’ve stuck to (multiple) jalapeños ever since!]

2 14-ounce cans Rotel style tomatoes

1 15-ounce can tomato puree

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon whole cloves or a generous pinch ground cloves [I prefer ground, getting a bite of a whole clove can be terrible!]

¼ teaspoon allspice berries or generous pinch ground allspice [I’ve only ever used ground]

2 teaspoons orégano

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons mild chili powder [or more, if you like, I prefer to increase the fire with peppers, but that’s just what I like]

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 lb ground meat prepared with taco seasonings (according to package directions)

1 can Ranch Style (or other spicy) beans (or more, to taste)

1 cup raw rice, brown or white

2 cups boiling water

1.      In a large Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil, and sauté the onions, garlic, green pepper, and jalapeño pepper until they are softened. 

2.      Add the ground meat.

3.      Add the tomatoes (and purée), coriander, cloves, allspice, orégano, brown sugar, chili, cumin, and beans.  Bring the chili to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer the chili for 30 minutes.  [I don’t add all the purée until I’ve mixed the rest of the ingredients together to see the consistency.]

4.      While the chili is cooking, in a medium saucepan add the rice to the boiling water, reduce the heat, cover the pan tightly, and simmer the rice for 15 to 35 minutes, according to package directions (depending upon the type of rice you use).  Serve the chili over the rice.  [I don’t actually follow this part at all; I cook the kinds of rice I want, however I want—of course!]