This chili con carne is the best homemade chili recipe youll find!
Top with grated cheddar and a squeeze of lime.
It seems as if there are as many ways to prepare chili as there are cooks who make chili!
Elise Bauer
Ingredients in this Homemade Chili Recipe
A few notes on this recipe.
We use chuck roast because it holds up the best to long stewing.
The meat and onions are cooked in bacon fat which contributes to the flavor.
Elise Bauer
you could also make your beans from scratchon the stovetoporin a pressure cooker.
A little sugar is used to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice.
Chipotle adds a smokey dimension to the chili, enhancing all of the other flavors.
Elise Bauer
Everyone has their favorite chili recipe.
This one is mine, what’s yours?
What is Chili Con Carne?
Elise Bauer
Chili con carne means chili with meat.
Immigrants from the Canary Islands settled in San Antonio in the 1800s and may have brought it with them.
Originally, it was simply meat, sauce, and chili peppers.
Elise Bauer
You may need to add a little water, as the beans absorb moisture as they sit.
Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
Mix in water so that chili forms a light paste.
Elise Bauer
Cook the bacon in a large skillet on medium high heat until crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel.
Pour bacon fat from the pan into a separate container, reserve.
Elise Bauer
When the bacon cools, crumble it into smaller pieces and set aside.
Increase heat to medium high, add back in 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.
Remove beef from pan, set aside.
Elise Bauer
Add another tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan.
Add the chopped onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and jalapeno, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Add the chili paste and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
Heat the chili on medium high heat until it comes to a simmer.
Then reduce the heat to low.
Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Gently mix in the kidney beans.
Add salt to taste.
At this point you might also add a little more chili powder if you desire more heat.
Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and chopped red onion.
Serve withcornbread,tortilla chips, and/or rice.
