Ingredients
- 4 lb Fresh garden tomatoes
Core and chop or crush; retain all juice. Peeling is optional.
- 1/2 lb Ground beef
- 1/2–1 lb Mild ground pork sausage
Loose sausage or remove casings; avoid sweet maple-flavored sausage.
- 1 large Yellow onion
Diced.
- 1 large, optional Bell pepper
Diced.
- 5 cloves Garlic
Minced.
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Mild smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon, optional Worcestershire sauce
- To taste Fresh hot garden peppers
Finely chopped. Add after separating any mild portion; start conservatively.
- 1–1 1/2 lb Potatoes
Cut into 1/2-inch cubes; cook separately in salted water before adding.
- One 15-ounce can, optional Canned whole-kernel corn
Drained.
- As needed Water or low-sodium beef broth
Add about 1/2 cup at a time only when needed to maintain a soup-like consistency.
- To taste Salt
Adjust after adding potatoes, corn, and any broth; also use some for the potato cooking water.
Instructions
PREPARE THE TOMATOES
Wash, core, and chop or crush the tomatoes, keeping all their juice. Peel first only if desired.BROWN THE MEAT
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef and sausage in uncrowded batches, allowing some browned patches to develop. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.COOK THE AROMATICS
Add the onion and optional bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5–8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add cumin, mild smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper; stir for another 30 seconds without letting the spices burn. Keep the hot peppers out at this stage if a mild portion may be needed.START THE MILD TOMATO BASE
Return the meat and any reserved meat juices to the pot. Add the tomatoes and optional Worcestershire sauce. Bring the whole pot to a simmer, then reduce to low heat so there are occasional gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil. Start without extra broth or water if the tomatoes already provide enough liquid.SIMMER AND PRESERVE THE BROTH
Cook the base for about 1 hour with the lid mostly on. Stir and scrape the bottom every 20–30 minutes, checking more often as needed. Press larger tomato pieces with the spoon as they soften. This is a soup-like chili: preserve enough tomato-rich liquid to surround the meat and vegetables. Do not deliberately reduce it to a thick sauce. Add water or low-sodium beef broth about 1/2 cup at a time only when the consistency needs loosening.DIVIDE FOR MILD AND SPICY PORTIONS, THEN ADD HOT PEPPERS
If serving children or anyone who prefers mild food, transfer their portion to a separate pot BEFORE adding hot peppers. Otherwise, keep everything together. Add a conservative amount of finely chopped hot peppers to the spicy pot. Continue the gentle, mostly covered simmer for another 2–3 hours, stirring regularly and maintaining the soup-like consistency. Taste after the peppers have simmered for 20–30 minutes before deciding whether to add more; that is a heat checkpoint, not the end of their cooking time. Use separate spoons for mild and spicy pots, and watch the smaller pot closely so it does not dry out.COOK THE POTATOES SEPARATELY
About 45 minutes before serving, put the diced potatoes in a separate saucepan with salted water. Simmer until just tender but still holding their shape, starting to check around 10 minutes. Drain and stir into the chili for its final 20–30 minutes. Divide between mild and spicy pots if applicable.ADD CORN AND ADJUST
If using corn, add it, drained, for the final 15–20 minutes. Adjust the liquid to retain a generous, soup-like tomato broth. Taste after the potatoes, corn, and any extra liquid are incorporated; then adjust salt, cumin, smoked paprika, or black pepper as needed. Do not automatically add sugar or more hot peppers.SERVE
Serve hot with homemade cornbread. Optional toppings include sharp cheddar and sour cream.
Shared using ComingUp Today