Chili con Carne

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Description

Chili con carne, which translates to "chili with meat," is a spicy stew of Mexican origin containing chili peppers, meat (usually beef), tomatoes, and often beans. It's a popular dish with various regional and personal variations, sometimes including onions, garlic, cumin, and other spices.

Ingredients

• 750G Minced Meat
• 400G Can Black Beans
• 400G Can Red Kidney Beans
• 1 TSB Chilli Powder
• 1 TSB Cumin Powder
• 1 TSB Oregano
• 1 TSB Paprika Powder
• 1 TSB Cajun Seasoning Powder
• 1 TSB Garlic Powder
• 1 TSB Salt
• 500G Tomato Sauce
• Basil
• 1x Beef Stock Cube
• 300ml Water

Steps

1. Prepare your ingredients: Before you start cooking, it's good practice to get everything ready. Open the cans of beans, pour them into a sieve or colander, and rinse them thoroughly under cold water.
   Why? Rinsing canned beans removes the starchy, sometimes metallic-tasting liquid they are packed in. This results in a cleaner flavour and better texture in your final dish.
2. Brown the minced meat: Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the minced meat and use a spoon to break it apart. Cook until the meat is browned all over. If there is a lot of excess fat, you can carefully drain some of it off.
   Why? This step is crucial for developing flavour. The browning process is a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction, which creates deep, savoury, and complex notes that form the foundation of the chili's taste.
3. Bloom the spices: Turn the heat down to medium and add all of your dry spices directly to the pot with the meat: Chilli Powder, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Cajun Seasoning, and Garlic Powder. Stir constantly for about 60 seconds until the spices become very fragrant.
   Why? This is called "blooming". Toasting the spices in the hot fat from the meat awakens their essential oils, making their flavour much more potent and aromatic than if they were simply added to the liquid later.
4. Combine the liquids: Pour in the tomato sauce and the 300ml of water. Crumble the beef stock cube directly into the pot and add the salt. Stir everything together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any flavourful browned bits that may have stuck on.
   Why? Scraping the bottom of the pot is a technique called deglazing. Those stuck-on bits, called 'fond', are packed with concentrated flavour from the browning process. Releasing them back into the sauce significantly deepens the overall taste.
5. Add the beans and simmer: Add the rinsed black beans and kidney beans to the pot and give everything a good stir. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. For a richer flavour, simmering for an hour is even better. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
   Why? Simmering is where all the individual ingredients meld together into one cohesive dish. A low, slow simmer allows the meat to become more tender and gives the beans time to absorb all the wonderful flavours of the sauce.
6. Finish and serve: After simmering, remove the chili from the heat. Tear or chop your fresh basil and stir it in. Have a taste of the chili and adjust the seasoning if needed – you might want to add a little more salt or chili powder.
   Why? Delicate fresh herbs like basil lose their flavour with prolonged cooking. Adding them at the very end preserves their fresh, bright taste. Tasting and adjusting seasoning is the final, essential step for any cook to ensure the dish is perfectly balanced.