If you're like me, one of the most challenging aspects of
changing to a Paleo lifestyle was having reliable staple foods that 1) I
wanted to eat, 2) were easy to prepare, and 3) would generally last a
workweek. One of the greatest dishes I was lucky to catch onto early in
my Paleo experience was CHILI. Chili is delicious. I love chili and most
other people do as well. It's easy to prepare and will keep well in the
fridge for three or four days fresh. It even gets better the next day.
What more could you ask for! If you are really prepared you can even
make a huge batch and portion it off and freeze the individual portions
for defrosting and reheating whenever you are ready for it.
Traditional Texas Chili is just meat and chili sauce anyway usually a slurry of stewed peppers, chili powders and tomato sauce. The meat can be anything from ground beef to barbequed brisket. This meal is Paleo-ready from the word GO!
The essential ingredients to any great chili:
Protein: This can be any meat and the more Paleo the better. Meat with lots of connective tissue are less expensive than the leaner cuts, have more fat, which is great for Paleo, and benefit from the long slow slimmer type of cooking that chilis require. A short list of some of my favorite red meats are: ground beef or bison(no less than 20% fat), chuck round roast, chuck blade roast, brisket, flank, or short ribs. You really want meat with connective tissue in it as this turns to gelatin as it is heated over a long slow period of time and this naturally thickens the chili and gives it the umami every great chili offers.
Alternative meats include ground turkey, chicken, fish or crustaceans. All of these make wonderful chilis however if you go with a seafood for the protein I find these are better eaten right away as opposed to frozen to be eaten later.
Vegetables: Any vegetable that lasts up to a nice long cook is valuable in this recipe. Of course, it should be Paleo-friendly so beans and potatoes are not included (although recent studies have shown that some potato varieties are fine for Paleo). My go-to veggies are onion, tomatoes, green peppers, and carrot. Yes, I know carrot is not what most people think of when they think of "chili". That's OK, carrot adds a natural sweetness to the chili and cant stand up to a long cook, plus they freeze well. Plus, I like it, and I'm the one eating it.
The Chili "Broth": This is really where you can stand out. For me, a great chili broth is a combination of heat and sweetness with the taste of beef to balance it out. A good broth requires quality chili powder. You can buy good chili powder at a variety of places. I personally like Penzey's Chili Powder if I use a store brand. Without a doubt, the best chili powder is one you make at home using dried chilis. You can buy an assortment of chilis from vendors throughout the Southwest and have them shipped to you. Once at home, they usually require another slow drying in an low oven (around 200 degrees) for an hour or so until they are very brittle and will powderize in a food processor. Once they are this dry you can buzz them into powder combine with other dry spices.
The spices found in most chili powders: dried chilis (Guajillo, Chipotle, Arbol), Paprika, Coriander seed, Cumin seed, Cinnamon, Mexican Oregano, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Peppercorns. Here is a basic chili powder for ratios of each. However, you must experiment with the taste as you make it as the raw ingredients will vary in quality, freshness, etc and you must adjust so that it tastes good. Most people never taste their Chili until its been cooking for hours, I say start with tasting the chili powder with a dab on your finger and go from there.
Black Fly Chili Powder
5 dried Guajillo Chiles
3 dried Chipotle Chiles
3 dried Arbol Chiles
1 Tbs Paprika (Spanish)
1 Tbs Coriander (toast in a low dry skillet watching and stirring so it doesn't burn about two to three minutes)
1 Tbs Cumin (toast, see above)
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 tsp Mexican Oregano
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp black Peppercorns.
Black Fly Paleo Chili
Get a big pot, enough to make at least eight servings. I use a clay pot my Sister gave me, but use what you have. Brown off the protein and remove to a plate. Leave the fat and bits in the pot. Add the onions, green peppers and carrots and cook until they are nearly soft on low to low-medium heat. Now for the liquid. I add a large can 23 oz of stewed tomatoes (not the kind with basil), a 14 oz can of beef broth and the chili powder. Bring this to a boil. Once this is boiling, return the meat to the pot and simmer for 1 - 2 hours. You can skim fat if you must, but this is Paleo so why should you? If it is not sweet enough, you can add a touch of agave to sweeten. Not too much now. This doesn't have to be sweet. If it is not hot enough for you, float a raw jalapeno in it during cooking and remove at the end. How much vegetables? 1 Chopped Large Yellow Onion, 1-2 Chopped Green Peppers, 2 Peeled Diced Carrots. That's it. It's easy, healthy and delicious. Enjoy the Chili! I hope your Paleo experience is as great as mine.
Traditional Texas Chili is just meat and chili sauce anyway usually a slurry of stewed peppers, chili powders and tomato sauce. The meat can be anything from ground beef to barbequed brisket. This meal is Paleo-ready from the word GO!
The essential ingredients to any great chili:
Protein: This can be any meat and the more Paleo the better. Meat with lots of connective tissue are less expensive than the leaner cuts, have more fat, which is great for Paleo, and benefit from the long slow slimmer type of cooking that chilis require. A short list of some of my favorite red meats are: ground beef or bison(no less than 20% fat), chuck round roast, chuck blade roast, brisket, flank, or short ribs. You really want meat with connective tissue in it as this turns to gelatin as it is heated over a long slow period of time and this naturally thickens the chili and gives it the umami every great chili offers.
Alternative meats include ground turkey, chicken, fish or crustaceans. All of these make wonderful chilis however if you go with a seafood for the protein I find these are better eaten right away as opposed to frozen to be eaten later.
Vegetables: Any vegetable that lasts up to a nice long cook is valuable in this recipe. Of course, it should be Paleo-friendly so beans and potatoes are not included (although recent studies have shown that some potato varieties are fine for Paleo). My go-to veggies are onion, tomatoes, green peppers, and carrot. Yes, I know carrot is not what most people think of when they think of "chili". That's OK, carrot adds a natural sweetness to the chili and cant stand up to a long cook, plus they freeze well. Plus, I like it, and I'm the one eating it.
The Chili "Broth": This is really where you can stand out. For me, a great chili broth is a combination of heat and sweetness with the taste of beef to balance it out. A good broth requires quality chili powder. You can buy good chili powder at a variety of places. I personally like Penzey's Chili Powder if I use a store brand. Without a doubt, the best chili powder is one you make at home using dried chilis. You can buy an assortment of chilis from vendors throughout the Southwest and have them shipped to you. Once at home, they usually require another slow drying in an low oven (around 200 degrees) for an hour or so until they are very brittle and will powderize in a food processor. Once they are this dry you can buzz them into powder combine with other dry spices.
The spices found in most chili powders: dried chilis (Guajillo, Chipotle, Arbol), Paprika, Coriander seed, Cumin seed, Cinnamon, Mexican Oregano, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Peppercorns. Here is a basic chili powder for ratios of each. However, you must experiment with the taste as you make it as the raw ingredients will vary in quality, freshness, etc and you must adjust so that it tastes good. Most people never taste their Chili until its been cooking for hours, I say start with tasting the chili powder with a dab on your finger and go from there.
Black Fly Chili Powder
5 dried Guajillo Chiles
3 dried Chipotle Chiles
3 dried Arbol Chiles
1 Tbs Paprika (Spanish)
1 Tbs Coriander (toast in a low dry skillet watching and stirring so it doesn't burn about two to three minutes)
1 Tbs Cumin (toast, see above)
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 tsp Mexican Oregano
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp black Peppercorns.
Black Fly Paleo Chili
Get a big pot, enough to make at least eight servings. I use a clay pot my Sister gave me, but use what you have. Brown off the protein and remove to a plate. Leave the fat and bits in the pot. Add the onions, green peppers and carrots and cook until they are nearly soft on low to low-medium heat. Now for the liquid. I add a large can 23 oz of stewed tomatoes (not the kind with basil), a 14 oz can of beef broth and the chili powder. Bring this to a boil. Once this is boiling, return the meat to the pot and simmer for 1 - 2 hours. You can skim fat if you must, but this is Paleo so why should you? If it is not sweet enough, you can add a touch of agave to sweeten. Not too much now. This doesn't have to be sweet. If it is not hot enough for you, float a raw jalapeno in it during cooking and remove at the end. How much vegetables? 1 Chopped Large Yellow Onion, 1-2 Chopped Green Peppers, 2 Peeled Diced Carrots. That's it. It's easy, healthy and delicious. Enjoy the Chili! I hope your Paleo experience is as great as mine.
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