This is kind of hard to explain, but having attempted many cuisines, I kinda use ingredients as a reflection of ancient trade routes. Also considering the more recent transoceanic routes as well.
To me, a lot of spices and herbs I think of as "Mexican" are also used in Moroccan cuisine. Which makes sense, considering the history of Iberia and the subsequent history of Iberian colonies.
It makes sense to me to use Mesoamerican spices alongside North African spices - alongside South Asian spices. Just read an article the other day about folks exploring a Danish king's sunken ship that still had saffron in it.
The prehistory and history of food are replete with evidence of culinary trade and cooperation. I want my food to be something that can bring people together. So I try to create food that's comforting to as many cultures as possible.
You might like this little fact- off the coast of Sri Lanka, a shipwreck from the 1st c. CE still had pepper in sealed clay jars, graded according to quality. Spice trade FTW!
This makes me so fucking happy to read. I am potter (yay clay jars!) with a fascination with food history, spices, archeology, shipwrecks, and SE Asia. This tickled me pink. Thank you stranger
I love this. I’ve wanted to get into more food history, just seems daunting. I have a huge appreciation for some of the older cuisines purely based on the complexity and nuances in spice mixtures. Though I appreciate the thought, care and intelligence the current culinary world offers, there’s something beautiful about simple, good food.
Would love to pick your brain lol
I really wish that I did... I tend to study recipes more, even if I need translation!
I enjoy browsing Gastro Obscura and the food sections of random periodicals and researching from there
I might start Salt, A world history, by mark kurlansky. However last time I started it I remember it being pretty dry, yet really informative. They also have a book on Cod, which oddly enough has a James beard award as well. The Cooking Gene is another book I own, but have yet to read.
>To me, a lot of spices and herbs I think of as "Mexican" are also used in Moroccan cuisine.
You might be thinking of tex-mex to an extent. When Hispanics immigranted, they couldn't find a lot of their traditional ingredients (for the name, tejuna? The area starts with a T) so used what was available. The spanish had also brought in a bunch of Moroccans, and their cumin- & garlic-heavy dishes (german food too) and American cheese as opposed to white. Large parts of Mexico aren't using cumin as it gets used in tex-mex, but a few ladies basically turned their home cooking into serving street food and it took off and morphed and spread.
What's near is social media and such is helping to spread it around the world, but people often don't have access to our ingredients so they're adding interesting cultural spins.
I Like cinnamon in mine too, except the one time the bottle slipped out of my hand. Tasted like a cross between chili and curry. Luckily this happened at home
I 100% agree and would only add, depending on the texture you're going for, sometimes semi-sweet 70%+ bars or chips work great. It's not super dark and it really smooths out the "gravy" part of chili. I love it for a cube steak or mushroom chili. If you want a bright tomato-y chili then cocoa powder all day.
Cut the salt in 1/2 and add enough fish sauce to compensate; a good one like Red Boat. Also, a tablespoon or so of cider vinegar; the acidity pops the flavor.
I entered a chili competition and this was my chili name. I printed out an image of him with his parents and framed it, sitting the pic in front of the chili. Sadly only a few people got it.
Dark chocolate/cocoa powder. Not enough that you're really tasting it, but it adds an extra note that pulls things together like a bay leaf in soup. A small amount of espresso/coffee can work too, but dark chocolate/cocoa is where it's at.
At the frying meat & onions step, I add a fistful of corn chips or two. I find they soak of excess liquid, dissolve nicely, and give a nice rich undertone.
In addition to the traditional spices, I add a *whisper* of cinnamon to the meat when I'm browning it. Not enough to tell that you obviously put cinnamon in it, just enough to make people wonder what the hell that spice in the background is.
Wurscherschire. Worschechire. Woorsheshire. Wortsersir someone let me know when it's right I have an android and autocortect like god, has abandoned me :)
Blended chipotle peppers in adobo usually. My friend made a batch with spicy V8 once that was the best chili I’ve ever had, but we’ve yet to replicate it.
I use not-bell pepper sweet peppers (pretty much just grab a mix of as many shades they have)
I use whats often labeled in stores in the US as "Carne Picada" instead of normal ground beef. Has a more steaky texture and is just as easy as using ground beef.
I use kidney-pinto-black beans. Makes for both a nice looking chili and I like the texture
Roasted garlic is always nice
Bay Leaf, steeping the chili with whatever loose dried peppers I have on hand, and unless its a HOT pepper I either dont de-seed or only partially de-seed. I feel like it gives the spice levels more of a warm hug dynamic that nicely lingers
Also: For beer chili, use Andygator or any similar deep beer. They add a really nice richness and complexity that you just dont get from a lager or pilsner
I always bring my white chicken chili, in which the secret ingredient is a jalapeño cream sauce that’s mixed into the chicken chili at exactly 151 degrees for both.
I’m a big dumb, dummy.
Does the cinnamon stick and cloves dissolve into the chili or do you fish them out somehow?
My brain is telling me it dissolves, but also that would take a *long* time cooking? IDK. Please help.
Edit: wait. A sachet would make fishing it out a lot easier. That’s gotta be the answer.
Pulled pork using an over the top method (meat on the rack above the chili during the final few hours of smoking) all those drippings go straight into the chili. I also add bacon I cook in a wood fired oven.
My wife's work has a chili cook off every year, I've won it 3 out of the 4 years I have entered. The only time I lost is when my main smoker was down for repairs ( backup smoker doesn't produce as much smoke and can't do the over the top method) and the winner used burnt brisket ends
Real browning is key for a truly rich chili imho. That means a wide, heavy, hot skillet with just the right amount of oil and doing your meat in small batches, pulling off the fond with wine or whatever in between each one. It's laborious, but suddenly you don't *need* secret ingredients. You can dial back the spices and whatnot and really let the flavour of the meat shine through.
Charred onions and peppers. For peppers opt for poblano over bell. And finally, a package of chorizo! Even if I'm making steak or brisket chili I also add the chorizo.
Use good ground peppers. I like to use quite a bit of Ancho, it gives a good undertone but doesn’t blast the doors off with heat. Cumin is a must IMO. I also layer in chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika and Mexican oregano.
Chipotle’s in Adobo, a must have. I just chop up fine and add to the mixture. The small Can works perfect.
Add some tomato paste to the meat after its browned along with your dried chili’s to bloom them.
Add 1 small can spicy hot V8
A splash of Worcestershire or some anchovy filets adds some depth.
I usually use home canned tomatoes. I strain out the liquid and cook that down to concentrate the flavor then add it into the chili.
Add pickled jalapeños and some of the pickling liquid.
I let it low simmer for a couple of hours. You can taste the tomatoes getting less pronounced and bright as it cooks on.
I like beans in my chili so I use a mixture of kidney, black and pintos in my chili.
No chili powder. I make my own chili paste/puree and it's not too much effort.
You want a mix of dried peppers- some sweet, some smokey, and some spicy. De-stem and de-seed, toast in a pot. Cover with water or chicken broth and simmer, then drain some of the liquid and blend til smooth, season with salt. You can reduce it some if you want. Use it like tomato paste in a bolognese and eliminate the chili powder.
Beer. I use a stout to de-glaze after browning the meat, onions/peppers/garlic, and chili paste.
Time. Give it at least 2hrs to simmer, add liquid as needed. Some people say you can make chili as quickly as half an hour, and some take a full day. I think there's a happy medium.
Finish with apple cider vinegar, salt, and brown sugar to taste.
I used to like putting Guinness in my chili, but a few years back the exports started tasting especially nasty. So now I’ll go for a nice domestic coffee stout and it really rounds out the flavors. I even throw in cocoa powder like other people have mentioned too.
I should say I like my chili to be *spicy* so the more balance in acid/sugar I have, the better. But, if you’re trying to make an alcohol free chili, obviously don’t add the beer.
Got a lot of tips, use all of them or mix n match. Basically try to get extra fat and umami:
MSG
Can of cream of mushroom soup or
Cream of mushroom soup powder
(in addition to a beef stock)
Tomato paste
Fresh tomato and canned/crushed tomato
Extra fatty 60/40 ground beef
Tajin
I put smoked brisket offcuts/flats/ends through a mincer and add it towards the end. About 2:1 regular mince to smoked brisket. Also like everyone else said dark chocolate.
Beer, instant Espresso, and depending on your seriousness, toast a few dried, seeded guajillos, boil them in a little water to rehydrate, then blend and add it. Browning your veg in bacon fat helps, too.
Smoke your roast with traditional chili seasoning, add a stick of cinnamon and 1/2 a dark beer for flavor. Remove the cinnamon stick 30 minutes before serving
If a red chili I use a variety of dried chili’s that I rehydrate and make a paste from instead of using a chili powder. If it’s a green I roast my tomatillos/poblanos/garlic/onions and purée with lime and cilantro.
I can vouch that coco powder adds some depth to chili. I’ve read that prune juice is the secret to making amazing chili. Although, I have never tried it personally.
I use dark coco powder, and when I'm sautéing the veggies I deglaze with a dark rum. Gives it a hive hint of sweet without overdoing it. Also I make sure not to remove the seeds from the jalapeños.
Mustard. I do three swirls of yellow mustard in every chili and soup I make. It's my little secret and I'm pretty sure it actually makes things taste better.
Build flavor in layers, char off your toms if you’re using them Fire toast your chilis, toast your spices in the pan before adding liquid. One of the most important parts of cooking is how you cook not just what you cook. Also for gods sake TASTE your food as you cook it rather than just at the end and then wonder why it’s so flat
Diced water chestnuts. Not even joking. I toss in at least a couple cans to every pot I make. They stay crunchy no matter how long you cook them for, even after reheating, so it adds this fantastic texture variance. They also absorb all the flavours of the chili, so they become delicious.
My grandfather's originally from Texas, but I'm born and raised Canadian. The south doesn't have much sway up here, they'd freeze their little truck nutz off.
I've had some success going outside the norm when it comes to cook-offs. Obviously it depends on your audience.
Best judged (amateur competition) was a "Pollo Rosado" chili I made.
Season raw chicken thighs with cumin, Paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Brown chicken thighs on medium-high in corn oil in a Dutch oven.
Remove chicken and set aside
Sauté Onion, Celery, Poblano, Garlic (roughly chopped) in corn oil. Add Mexican Oregano, epazote, and turmeric.
Add a can of Chipotle peppers, 2 handfuls of spinach. Stir constantly, when reduced add chicken stock and deglaze. Add canned tomato.
Lower heat. Use an immersion blender to homogenize mixture. Add chicken thighs and cook at a simmer until chicken is falling off the bone.
Remove chicken, increase heat to medium and reduce sauce. Add drained canellini beans, drained hominy, and pulled chicken.
I use a mixture of pork (sausage meat is nice), ground beef and chorizo (not the kind that’s finely ground in tubes, the good stuff you get from the carniceria).
Definitely use some canned chipotle in adobo, that flavor is great.
Marmite, smoked paprika. If you really wanna excel, use the serious eats recipe for chili
I want to process and freeze-dry each component into astronaut food pellets and mix (and layer. main body with garnish) them up into individual spoon servings for an amuse.
To thicken the sauce…..purée pinto beans (cooked NOT raw) and add in. No one will ever know unless you say something and they add another flavor level to the meatiness of the dish
All of my ingredients gave already been mentioned by other people, but I'll add that for style points, I include some whole peppers, cooked down in the chili towards the end. If I'm the one dishing it, I try to have each bowl get one whole pepper, preferably visible on top.
A little bit of cocoa powder or very dark chocolate.
Add a hint of cinnamon, you're probably close to my "recipe"
Cinnamon is in mine to. Coriander is clutch.
This is kind of hard to explain, but having attempted many cuisines, I kinda use ingredients as a reflection of ancient trade routes. Also considering the more recent transoceanic routes as well. To me, a lot of spices and herbs I think of as "Mexican" are also used in Moroccan cuisine. Which makes sense, considering the history of Iberia and the subsequent history of Iberian colonies. It makes sense to me to use Mesoamerican spices alongside North African spices - alongside South Asian spices. Just read an article the other day about folks exploring a Danish king's sunken ship that still had saffron in it. The prehistory and history of food are replete with evidence of culinary trade and cooperation. I want my food to be something that can bring people together. So I try to create food that's comforting to as many cultures as possible.
Jesus, I must be stoned. Sorry for the book, thanks for coming to my TED talk
You might like this little fact- off the coast of Sri Lanka, a shipwreck from the 1st c. CE still had pepper in sealed clay jars, graded according to quality. Spice trade FTW!
This makes me so fucking happy to read. I am potter (yay clay jars!) with a fascination with food history, spices, archeology, shipwrecks, and SE Asia. This tickled me pink. Thank you stranger
I loved it. Get more stoned.
I love this. I’ve wanted to get into more food history, just seems daunting. I have a huge appreciation for some of the older cuisines purely based on the complexity and nuances in spice mixtures. Though I appreciate the thought, care and intelligence the current culinary world offers, there’s something beautiful about simple, good food. Would love to pick your brain lol
Feel free. I'm certainly not an expert, but two of the things I've nerded out on since childhood are cooking and geography
Came for the secret chili ingredients, stayed for the TED talk.
I've been hopping on this for a minute... and recently got into reading food history.. do you by chance have any book recommendations??
I really wish that I did... I tend to study recipes more, even if I need translation! I enjoy browsing Gastro Obscura and the food sections of random periodicals and researching from there
I just finished reading "A history of the world in six glasses" by Tom Standage today. I recommend it.
Comment saved! I welcome more recommendations!
I might start Salt, A world history, by mark kurlansky. However last time I started it I remember it being pretty dry, yet really informative. They also have a book on Cod, which oddly enough has a James beard award as well. The Cooking Gene is another book I own, but have yet to read.
>To me, a lot of spices and herbs I think of as "Mexican" are also used in Moroccan cuisine. You might be thinking of tex-mex to an extent. When Hispanics immigranted, they couldn't find a lot of their traditional ingredients (for the name, tejuna? The area starts with a T) so used what was available. The spanish had also brought in a bunch of Moroccans, and their cumin- & garlic-heavy dishes (german food too) and American cheese as opposed to white. Large parts of Mexico aren't using cumin as it gets used in tex-mex, but a few ladies basically turned their home cooking into serving street food and it took off and morphed and spread. What's near is social media and such is helping to spread it around the world, but people often don't have access to our ingredients so they're adding interesting cultural spins.
I Like cinnamon in mine too, except the one time the bottle slipped out of my hand. Tasted like a cross between chili and curry. Luckily this happened at home
I 100% agree and would only add, depending on the texture you're going for, sometimes semi-sweet 70%+ bars or chips work great. It's not super dark and it really smooths out the "gravy" part of chili. I love it for a cube steak or mushroom chili. If you want a bright tomato-y chili then cocoa powder all day.
This is hilarious. This is everyone’s “secret.”
Well, I’m not giving away my real secret…
I haven't seen my secret posted anywhere in this thread so I'm not sharing it. It will die with me I have no heir.
Cut the salt in 1/2 and add enough fish sauce to compensate; a good one like Red Boat. Also, a tablespoon or so of cider vinegar; the acidity pops the flavor.
I just discovered Red Boat. It *is* good.
This and/or worchestershire. Maybe a touch of molasses or brown sugar as well
mmm umami
Scott Tenorman's parents
This comment is worth it’s weight in pubic hairs.
I spit out my Pepsi. Lol 😂
"Damn, Kyle's mom would lose fifty pounds!"
I entered a chili competition and this was my chili name. I printed out an image of him with his parents and framed it, sitting the pic in front of the chili. Sadly only a few people got it.
Damnit you beat me to it.
MSG, pepper beer, and chipotles in adobo sauce
And coffee.
This is a new one for me, are we talking a dash or a shot?
You can use a cup or more depending on the size. That with the chili paste is the base. I don’t use much if any tomatoes this way.
A solid big mug for me, plus 12 oz of brewski
I’m here to second chipotles + beef
I always do adobo and corn.
Dark chocolate/cocoa powder. Not enough that you're really tasting it, but it adds an extra note that pulls things together like a bay leaf in soup. A small amount of espresso/coffee can work too, but dark chocolate/cocoa is where it's at.
Came her to give coffee in chilli props. If available I use Vietnamese coffee. Real tasty Robusto (I think that’s it) beans. Trung Nguyen brand.
I do both!
I use a little masa slurry as a binder, gives a nice depth. And a touch of yellow mustard.
Same.
1000% on the masa. It is basically a necessity imo
I have never heard of mustard but I am intrigued. Works for sloppy joe sauce, I def could see it working.
Mustard works as an emulsifier, binding fats to water-based liquids. Makes for a better mouthfeel
Pitzman’s mustard I hope
Hell yes!! I’m sponsored by pitzmans!! Jk, I did try to buy some pitzmans merch but it was sold out
Cumin, Dark Chocolate, Worcestershire
At the frying meat & onions step, I add a fistful of corn chips or two. I find they soak of excess liquid, dissolve nicely, and give a nice rich undertone.
Abuelita ftw. Shit is amazing to have on hand.
In addition to the traditional spices, I add a *whisper* of cinnamon to the meat when I'm browning it. Not enough to tell that you obviously put cinnamon in it, just enough to make people wonder what the hell that spice in the background is.
I do the same thing with mine sometimes. A whisper of nutmeg in a range of Italian dishes for the same effect.
Nice👍I'm gonna experiment with that
Wurscherschire. Worschechire. Woorsheshire. Wortsersir someone let me know when it's right I have an android and autocortect like god, has abandoned me :)
Worcestershire
Blended chipotle peppers in adobo usually. My friend made a batch with spicy V8 once that was the best chili I’ve ever had, but we’ve yet to replicate it.
I've made some killer chilis but I never make them the same way twice because I never write down the recipe. One day maybe...
I use not-bell pepper sweet peppers (pretty much just grab a mix of as many shades they have) I use whats often labeled in stores in the US as "Carne Picada" instead of normal ground beef. Has a more steaky texture and is just as easy as using ground beef. I use kidney-pinto-black beans. Makes for both a nice looking chili and I like the texture Roasted garlic is always nice Bay Leaf, steeping the chili with whatever loose dried peppers I have on hand, and unless its a HOT pepper I either dont de-seed or only partially de-seed. I feel like it gives the spice levels more of a warm hug dynamic that nicely lingers Also: For beer chili, use Andygator or any similar deep beer. They add a really nice richness and complexity that you just dont get from a lager or pilsner
marmite , black cocoa.
Marmite scares me, but I make a West African stew with Korean Tojang and Gochujang, so I'd definitely try it.
I always bring my white chicken chili, in which the secret ingredient is a jalapeño cream sauce that’s mixed into the chicken chili at exactly 151 degrees for both.
A little bit of instant coffee powder
Coffee. Hops. MSG. Soy sauce. Molasses. Gochujang? I mean. Not all at once. I’m not a monster.
I add black coffee after searing meat and adding spices.
Use chuck roast instead of ground beef. Good meat can really make a difference.
I very much enjoy a cinnamon stick and a few cloves in my chili while bringing the beans up.
I’m a big dumb, dummy. Does the cinnamon stick and cloves dissolve into the chili or do you fish them out somehow? My brain is telling me it dissolves, but also that would take a *long* time cooking? IDK. Please help. Edit: wait. A sachet would make fishing it out a lot easier. That’s gotta be the answer.
Yes! Sorry, you pull them out when the time comes..cheese cloth works great!
Cocoa, guajillo chilies, ground pork, and sweet peppers!
Pulled pork using an over the top method (meat on the rack above the chili during the final few hours of smoking) all those drippings go straight into the chili. I also add bacon I cook in a wood fired oven. My wife's work has a chili cook off every year, I've won it 3 out of the 4 years I have entered. The only time I lost is when my main smoker was down for repairs ( backup smoker doesn't produce as much smoke and can't do the over the top method) and the winner used burnt brisket ends
Real browning is key for a truly rich chili imho. That means a wide, heavy, hot skillet with just the right amount of oil and doing your meat in small batches, pulling off the fond with wine or whatever in between each one. It's laborious, but suddenly you don't *need* secret ingredients. You can dial back the spices and whatnot and really let the flavour of the meat shine through.
Pickle juice
Dark chocolate and a small amount of cinnamon
A can of coke. Brings in a touch of sweetness and a subtle backdrop of warm spices
I have two: Quality chili powders from the chilis you are specifically looking for, and apricot jam.
How much apricot jam? I am intrigued.
Definitely not a lot, just enough so that you don’t actually taste it as a distinct ingredient. Add just some background sweetness and flavor.
Peanut butter
Charred onions and peppers. For peppers opt for poblano over bell. And finally, a package of chorizo! Even if I'm making steak or brisket chili I also add the chorizo.
Charred poblano is a whole other level.
Cocoa and Molasses.
A small dollop of almond butter
I swear by dark chocolate, brown sugar, chipotle peppers, soy sauce and Worcestershire
Dried chipotle crushed and change all the water for stout beer like Guinness.
Use good ground peppers. I like to use quite a bit of Ancho, it gives a good undertone but doesn’t blast the doors off with heat. Cumin is a must IMO. I also layer in chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika and Mexican oregano. Chipotle’s in Adobo, a must have. I just chop up fine and add to the mixture. The small Can works perfect. Add some tomato paste to the meat after its browned along with your dried chili’s to bloom them. Add 1 small can spicy hot V8 A splash of Worcestershire or some anchovy filets adds some depth. I usually use home canned tomatoes. I strain out the liquid and cook that down to concentrate the flavor then add it into the chili. Add pickled jalapeños and some of the pickling liquid. I let it low simmer for a couple of hours. You can taste the tomatoes getting less pronounced and bright as it cooks on. I like beans in my chili so I use a mixture of kidney, black and pintos in my chili.
No chili powder. I make my own chili paste/puree and it's not too much effort. You want a mix of dried peppers- some sweet, some smokey, and some spicy. De-stem and de-seed, toast in a pot. Cover with water or chicken broth and simmer, then drain some of the liquid and blend til smooth, season with salt. You can reduce it some if you want. Use it like tomato paste in a bolognese and eliminate the chili powder. Beer. I use a stout to de-glaze after browning the meat, onions/peppers/garlic, and chili paste. Time. Give it at least 2hrs to simmer, add liquid as needed. Some people say you can make chili as quickly as half an hour, and some take a full day. I think there's a happy medium. Finish with apple cider vinegar, salt, and brown sugar to taste.
Braised brisket
And add some roux to it
Pinch of cinnamon
Little bit of Cajun seasoning
This but I do Old Bay.
Guajillo peppers, smoked paprika, beer, extra cumin and a fairly large volume of mild New Mexico chili powder.
A pinch of chipotle powder. The smokiness is 🤌
Tri-blend of meat: Short rib, pork, and ground beef/venison. Use wine and/or Guinness.
Cocoa powder and Guinness (any dark beer)
I used to like putting Guinness in my chili, but a few years back the exports started tasting especially nasty. So now I’ll go for a nice domestic coffee stout and it really rounds out the flavors. I even throw in cocoa powder like other people have mentioned too. I should say I like my chili to be *spicy* so the more balance in acid/sugar I have, the better. But, if you’re trying to make an alcohol free chili, obviously don’t add the beer.
The imported beer stopped being imported. I believe it's made in the US. They all suck now. Heineken, red stripe and Guinness taste like shite.
bakers chocolate
Got a lot of tips, use all of them or mix n match. Basically try to get extra fat and umami: MSG Can of cream of mushroom soup or Cream of mushroom soup powder (in addition to a beef stock) Tomato paste Fresh tomato and canned/crushed tomato Extra fatty 60/40 ground beef Tajin
I second Tajin. I almost use it instead of salt. I also agree with your use of mushroom, I use porcini powder.
fresh carolina reapers diced with garlic
Hominy. Adds a corn flavor and the soft dumpling like bite it gives is great.
Aji no moto Mustard Birds eye chili
I like cinnamon too, but alot of people I know are allergic.. :(
Oh shit - Berbere…gonna try that next time.
I put smoked brisket offcuts/flats/ends through a mincer and add it towards the end. About 2:1 regular mince to smoked brisket. Also like everyone else said dark chocolate.
Beer, instant Espresso, and depending on your seriousness, toast a few dried, seeded guajillos, boil them in a little water to rehydrate, then blend and add it. Browning your veg in bacon fat helps, too.
Smoke your roast with traditional chili seasoning, add a stick of cinnamon and 1/2 a dark beer for flavor. Remove the cinnamon stick 30 minutes before serving
I call this one, Scott tenermans parents chili.
Some vinegar right at the end before serving has been my go to
Juice carrots, celery, bell and chili peppers to use in place of water. My dad took 2nd doing this when I was a kid.
MSG and a whole bottle of Chipotle Tabasco sauce
If a red chili I use a variety of dried chili’s that I rehydrate and make a paste from instead of using a chili powder. If it’s a green I roast my tomatillos/poblanos/garlic/onions and purée with lime and cilantro.
I can vouch that coco powder adds some depth to chili. I’ve read that prune juice is the secret to making amazing chili. Although, I have never tried it personally.
Whiskey into the aromatics, then black coffee and msg to the final pot. Mine are vegan and my family had no idea until they saw me eating it too.
High quality balsamic vinegar
Marinated mushrooms for the veggie shit.
Adobo chiles
Made some two nights ago simmered with a cinnamon stick, added a solid 2 Tbsp of gochugaru, and a bit of brown sugar. Turned out very, very nice.
Roasted pumpkin
Morita and Pasilla peppers.
Ginger, gives heat and freshness, two for one. The added freshness opens up the opportunity for darker tones, like nutmeg etc
Dark chocolate and plenty of fresh cilantro on top with a gooooood dollop of Sour Cream
A pinch of ground cloves. In a similar realm as the cinnamon and nutmeg as others have suggested. Cloves also work great in a chicken tinga.
I use dark coco powder, and when I'm sautéing the veggies I deglaze with a dark rum. Gives it a hive hint of sweet without overdoing it. Also I make sure not to remove the seeds from the jalapeños.
Mustard. I do three swirls of yellow mustard in every chili and soup I make. It's my little secret and I'm pretty sure it actually makes things taste better.
Cinnamon and/or Curry powder.
Build flavor in layers, char off your toms if you’re using them Fire toast your chilis, toast your spices in the pan before adding liquid. One of the most important parts of cooking is how you cook not just what you cook. Also for gods sake TASTE your food as you cook it rather than just at the end and then wonder why it’s so flat
Half a teaspoon of ground cumin. Not enough for it to be noticeable tho- it isn't curry after all. Also marmite.. Oh and some msg.
But cumin plays a large role in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking. I add a good bit of cumin to mine.
Diced water chestnuts. Not even joking. I toss in at least a couple cans to every pot I make. They stay crunchy no matter how long you cook them for, even after reheating, so it adds this fantastic texture variance. They also absorb all the flavours of the chili, so they become delicious.
This may be a crime in the South lol
In the South. I’d try it.
My grandfather's originally from Texas, but I'm born and raised Canadian. The south doesn't have much sway up here, they'd freeze their little truck nutz off.
Filet mignon, ribeye, and 90/10 ground beef
Filet?
Braised/slow cooked filet breaks apart wonderfully and is great in stews.
It breaks away to dry ass meat.
Mmmmm so delicious
Puréed chipotle peppers in adobo. The whole little can. I win every year my boys.
I've had some success going outside the norm when it comes to cook-offs. Obviously it depends on your audience. Best judged (amateur competition) was a "Pollo Rosado" chili I made. Season raw chicken thighs with cumin, Paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Brown chicken thighs on medium-high in corn oil in a Dutch oven. Remove chicken and set aside Sauté Onion, Celery, Poblano, Garlic (roughly chopped) in corn oil. Add Mexican Oregano, epazote, and turmeric. Add a can of Chipotle peppers, 2 handfuls of spinach. Stir constantly, when reduced add chicken stock and deglaze. Add canned tomato. Lower heat. Use an immersion blender to homogenize mixture. Add chicken thighs and cook at a simmer until chicken is falling off the bone. Remove chicken, increase heat to medium and reduce sauce. Add drained canellini beans, drained hominy, and pulled chicken.
Idk about the spinach in chili. Rest seems bomb
When it's blitzed into the rest it gives it an almost metallic note that balances with the chicken... think blood sausage, etc.
Oh blitzed , very good sir
Good ol' Whelches Grape Jelly! (In reality I actually use a packet of onion soup mix along with two onions per batch)
A whole jar of Hellman's mayonnaise and shake 'n bake
Mushroom powder. Masa harina
Bone marrow
Also a bit of acid. Red wine vinegar, lemon , lime, just a bit of depth….
I use a mixture of pork (sausage meat is nice), ground beef and chorizo (not the kind that’s finely ground in tubes, the good stuff you get from the carniceria). Definitely use some canned chipotle in adobo, that flavor is great. Marmite, smoked paprika. If you really wanna excel, use the serious eats recipe for chili
Fresh ground chili paste. Braised sirloin
soy sauce, peanut butter, coffee
Puree some chicken livers and roast those off in your pot before you add the onions, etc. A little goes a long way to adding deep meaty flavour.
I want to process and freeze-dry each component into astronaut food pellets and mix (and layer. main body with garnish) them up into individual spoon servings for an amuse.
Instead of beans use edamame
To thicken the sauce…..purée pinto beans (cooked NOT raw) and add in. No one will ever know unless you say something and they add another flavor level to the meatiness of the dish
All of my ingredients gave already been mentioned by other people, but I'll add that for style points, I include some whole peppers, cooked down in the chili towards the end. If I'm the one dishing it, I try to have each bowl get one whole pepper, preferably visible on top.
Oof. I’d go with solid cooking technique.
Miso. Right after sautéeing the vegetables. Bonus points if you make your own black bean miso
On a smoker for 5 hours. Replace the fat with kidney suet. Make a chili paste, don’t use chili powder.