Warming Chili con Carne from th US

Do I dare say it? For me chili con carne is definitely an American dish, originating somewhere in Texas most likely. I mean, there is a reason why Texas as well as Illinois both claim it to be their state dish, albeit what both consider a chili is fairly different. I understand that Oklahoma and Cincinnati also have their versions. If you are interested in further details, check out this article. I am not going to join the heated discussions, my version, my recipe below does contain crushed tomatoes and beans. If you don’t want that, feel free to check other recipes. You may also include corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkin as other “fillers”.

No matter what you go for, I love a good chili in winter. Usually it goes a long way. Of course it depends on how many mouths you have to feed, but most of the time you will be able to eat from it several days. Each day it gets better and better. I usually serve it along rice, in Germany it is also common to eat bread with it. A dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, avocado and maybe some shredded mozzarella make this a wonderful comfort food. My recipe below contains chili powder as well as chili flakes. I definitely recommend starting with small amounts and then season to taste. I believe for German standards this is already considered pretty spicy.

Credit: Based on Pinch of Yum

Print Recipe

Warming Chili con carne

Serves: For about 6 people

Prep Time: 45min – Cooking Time: 2hr – Total Time: 2hr 45min

This warming chili con carne is prepared with minced meat, beans, and crushed tomatoes. It will taste better on day 2 and 3.

Ingredients

• Chili con Carne
• 500 grams of minced meat
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 large onion
• 2-4 garlic cloves, depending on preference
• 4 carrots
• 1 jalapeño
• 150 grams of bacon cubes
• 1-3 TL chili powder (start slowly and add more if desired)
• 1 teaspoon of chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of Oregano
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of tomatoe paste
• 2 cans (400 grams each) of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (400 grams) of kidney beans
• 1 can (400 grams) of black beans
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 
  
• Serving Suggestions
• Cooked rice or bread
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro
• Avocado
• Shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1

First mix the salt with the minced meat and set aside. Then peel and cut/cube all vegetables.

2

Brown the bacon in a large iron-cast skillet, set aside and brown the vegetables for about five minutes in the same fat, stir in between. Add the meat and spices and brown from all sides, stir in between. Lastly stir in the tomatoe paste and let caramelize for a few minutes.

3

Now add the crushed tomatoes and beans as well as the bacon and bay leaves. If very thick, add a bit of water. Let simmer on low heat for at least 45 minutes, better is about two hours. If very thick, thin out with water. Taste and season again at the end.

4

Serve with cooked rice or bread, a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, some avocado and/or shredded mozzarella. Chili con carne will get better every day and should be chilled in between before reheating.