Chile con carne simply means " hot peppers with meat", so I seriously doubt there's an authentic recipe. I don't think the dish even exists in Mexican cuisine - but who cares? I love it, my kids love it, and (unfortunately for me because it means I have to cook) their MATES love it!
Chile con Carne
Ingredients:
1.5 kgs minced beef ( best to use minced beef with fat; lean beef doesn´t give such a good flavor)
4 bell peppers; 2 green, one orange, one red.
2 chilpotle chiles (canned variety. La Costeña or Herdez are good brands)
4 fresh green Thai chiles, chopped
3 medium onions, cut into half moons (or julienne, if you pardon my French)
6 large cloves garlic
2 tbsps ground oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin seed
1 tsp ground coffee (do not even DREAM of using Nescafé)
2 tbsps ground chile powder*
1 tsp achiote/annato/onoto powder **
4 bay leaves
2-3 tsps sea salt (more if necessary; it´s important to taste, taste, taste)
Large tin (800gms) tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tin Chile beans or 200 gms cooked pigeon peas or 200 gms cooked red kidney beans ( I always use dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked first thing)
Olive oil (or sunflower or maize oil)
1 square dark, natural chocolate. (70% cocoa is best – Hershey´s does not cut the mustard)
Fresh coriander leaf (optional)
Water
* This is a homemade mixture of dried, ground, guajillo,ancho and poblano peppers. It´s the flavour, not the heat I look for here.
** If you can find it. It adds a lovely earthy touch. If it´s not available just leave it out.
METHOD:
I served this with garlic bread, baked potatoes and a fresh salsa made like this:
Chile con Carne
Ingredients:
1.5 kgs minced beef ( best to use minced beef with fat; lean beef doesn´t give such a good flavor)
4 bell peppers; 2 green, one orange, one red.
2 chilpotle chiles (canned variety. La Costeña or Herdez are good brands)
4 fresh green Thai chiles, chopped
3 medium onions, cut into half moons (or julienne, if you pardon my French)
6 large cloves garlic
2 tbsps ground oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin seed
1 tsp ground coffee (do not even DREAM of using Nescafé)
2 tbsps ground chile powder*
1 tsp achiote/annato/onoto powder **
4 bay leaves
2-3 tsps sea salt (more if necessary; it´s important to taste, taste, taste)
Large tin (800gms) tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tin Chile beans or 200 gms cooked pigeon peas or 200 gms cooked red kidney beans ( I always use dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked first thing)
Olive oil (or sunflower or maize oil)
1 square dark, natural chocolate. (70% cocoa is best – Hershey´s does not cut the mustard)
Fresh coriander leaf (optional)
Water
* This is a homemade mixture of dried, ground, guajillo,ancho and poblano peppers. It´s the flavour, not the heat I look for here.
** If you can find it. It adds a lovely earthy touch. If it´s not available just leave it out.
METHOD:
- Put you oven (or grill) on max/broil. Cut the peppers in half and deseed/devein. Sprinkle with oil and salt, place on a baking tray and pop into the oven (or under the grill). Cook until they’re blackened on the outside. Remove from heat, cool and peel off blackened skin. Chop and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat up the oil of your choice and dump in the onions. Cook until they wilt, then add the crushed garlic and the green chiles. Stir around once or twice, then add the minced beef. Fry on high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add the spices -oregano, cumin,coffee, chile, achiote, bay leaves – and stir fry for 2 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, the chopped peppers, the chilpotle, the tomato paste, the salt and about two cups of water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the Chile con Carne for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about 1/3rd.
- Now add the beans and the chocolate. Cook for about 30-40 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened. Garnish with fresh coriander leaf if you wish.
- It is VERY important to taste this as you cook. You may like more, or less salt, and more, or less spice – so taste, taste, taste, until you’re satisfied, adding a little bit more as you do so.
I served this with garlic bread, baked potatoes and a fresh salsa made like this:
- 1 large, ripe tomato
- 2 spring onions, including the green part
- 3 fresh chiles (use whatever you’ve got available)
- Fresh coriander
- Salt, pepper
- Lime juice (from 1 lime)
- A little olive oil.
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