Here in Central New York we had an unusually mild September and October. We had quite a few 70 and 80 degree days which made it feel more like summer on occasion than it did in August. Now, however, fall is very much here with temperatures being in a much more seasonable range of 40 to 50 something degrees. This cooler weather has made me stop thinking about light summer foods and start searching for my soup and stew recipes.
This chili is one of our favorite winter meals. It satisfies our hardy, cold weather appetites and warms us up too. There are lots of beans and beef mixed into a wonderfully flavorful tomato based sauce.
Cumin and chili powder provide the main flavors but the other seasonings add to the depth of flavor. The smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices in this. It provides an irresistible smokiness and sweetness which enhances all of the other flavors. The onion and garlic are also essential in adding savoriness and rounding out the stronger flavors.
And we can’t forget about the delicious flavor added by the masa harina. Masa harina is a type of corn flour that’s used to make corn tortillas. It gives the chili an amazing corn flavor that infuses every bite. It also thickens the chili just enough so that it isn’t runny but it isn’t too thick either.
I haven’t tried making a vegetarian version of this yet but I think doubling the amount of beans (6 cans instead of 3) would be a great substitute for the beef. Also, you can try using different types of beans. A combination of beans (perhaps kidney beans and black beans) would make a vegetarian version more flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, browned
- 3 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1- 4 ounce can mild green chiles
- 3 tablespoons minced dried onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup masa harina
Instructions
Simmer all of the ingredients except the masa harina for about 1 hour. Mix the masa harina with a little water to make a thin paste and then stir it into the chili. Simmer the chili for about 10 more minutes to allow it to thicken. Makes about 12- 1 cup servings.