Conference Championship Chili

2010 brings a new feature to Saucy Little Dish: BOYS! Say hello to our first guest Spicy Side of Meatball Andrew – Professor of Computer Science, frequent supper club cook, and – heart – SLD boyfriend. He dudes up the place appropriately with some sports talk.

2009 was the year I would start following football.

Over the summer, during a weekend in Point Pleasant, NJ (before The Jersey Shore) my friend Dave and I tried to find me a team to follow:

The Giants won the Superbowl a few years ago and the last time I paid attention to football was with my mom’s boyfriend in 1990 during their last championship season – they’re in.

The Lady’s dad has had Jets tickets for a lifetime. He took me to my first game this fall when the Jets beat the Patriots – they can stay.

We lived in New Orleans for a few months in 2008 – Geaux Saints!

And the Vikings have a rad helmet. (Seriously, that’s all it took.)

So having narrowed my teams to 4, I followed the first few weeks of the season closely. I watched games. I checked box scores. I was a fan. Then I got distracted until the playoffs.

Reemerging two weekends ago to watch the conference championships with Dave, Dish Erin and Dish Rachelle, I found three of my beloved four teams still making a Superbowl run. In the AFC, the Jets were looking strong, and the Vikings and the Saints were competing for the NFC Championship. Wait — either way, one of my NFC teams was going to the big game!!! We did it!!! We’re going to the Superbowl!!! I’m number one!!! But first I had to see which of my teams were going with me. And that was going to take a serious commitment, the likes not seen since early September. And what better sustenance for seven hours of football than a pot of chili.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6):

2 tbsp olive oil (or so)
4 spare ribs (a little over a pound)
1 lb ground chuck
2 jalapeno peppers, charred and diced.
2 cloves garlic, whole
1 onion, diced
6oz Miller Genuine Draft
2 cans (28oz) san marzano diced tomatoes
1 can (28oz) water
1 can (15.5oz )kidney beans
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
1 bay leaf
salt

Garnish
1 jalapeno pepper
2 scallions
A pile of your favorite grated cheese — I like Colby or Queso de Papa
Cornbread — you’re going to have to ask Dish Erin how this was done…specifically how to make milk from half-and-half.

Spice Rub
1tsp cayenne
1tsp cumin
1tsp ginger
1tsp oregano
1tsp paprika
1tsp tumeric
salt
pepper

Heat olive oil on high in a heavy bottom stock pot.
Meanwhile, dredge ribs in the spice rub mix.
When the oil is hot, add the ribs. Sear on all sides.
Remove the ribs.
Season the ground beef with a little salt and pepper.
Add the ground beef and cook until there are the first bits of char on it – past grey is what I’m trying to say. You want to get some beef flavor on the bottom of the pan.
Remove the ground beef from the pot.

Over an open flame — I like a stove flame — roast two jalapeno peppers. (This can be done while searing the meat.) The skin should be completely blackened. Then dice.

If necessary, adjust the oil in the pot. The bottom of the pot should still have a thin coating of fat. If not, I’m going to guess you used ground sirloin instead of ground chuck…thinking its healthier because it’s leaner. Well, now your pan is dry. I hope you learned your lesson. Add a little more olive oil and carry on.

Add the diced onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot. Add a pinch or two of salt. This will keep the onions from browning.
When the onions are looking glossy, add the diced jalapeno.
When the onions are translucent, deglaze with beer. (Deglaze french for “scrape up all the delicious bits of meat from the bottom of the pan”.)

Add tomatoes and water.
Bring to a simmer.
(Everybody in the pool.)
Return the meat to the pot.
Add the beans.
Add remaining spices — cinnamon, ginger, cocoa powder, bay. There should be enough heat from the cayenne rub and the jalapenos for it to be pretty spicy, but if you like more, go ahead and add some more cayenne or an ancho chili, or some sriracha, or whatever you want, big strong man.

Reduce heat to low/medium low and let simmer for at least 40 minutes. We let it go for about 3 hours, which was pretty perfect. It’s not going to overcook, so don’t stress it. If it starts to get dry, add some beer (if you’ve got any left, you lush) or water.

While you’re waiting, slice some scallion and raw jalapeno. Grate some cheese. Ask a friend to make cornbread.

Geaux Saints!