Pinoy chili

Small beef cubes, red kidney beans, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, bay leaf, hot chili pepper and tomato paste are cooked slowly over very low heat to blend the flavors. Chili con carne is best accompanied by garlic-buttered toast sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.

It’s always more convenient to use canned beans. The trouble is that because canned beans are already cooked, you can no longer simmer them with the beef. Not for more than a few minutes, anyway. Otherwise, they get too mushy. So, they don’t absorb any flavor and they taste flat.

Secondly, unless you use a tried and tested brand, you have no way of knowing if the beans you’re getting are of good quality. That’s why I prefer them raw. I have total control over how tender they should be. Plus, of course, I cook them with the meat and that gives them a lot of flavor.

Ingredients :

1/2 k. of stewing beef (chuck, brisket or shank), cut into 3/4″ x 3/4″ cubes
1 c. of dried red kidney beans
1 whole garlic, finely minced
2 onions, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 hot chili pepper, pounded
salt
a pinch of dried basil
1 tsp. of freshly chopped parsley
1 tbsp. of olive oil
water

How to :

To prepare the beans: Wash beans in water. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water and boil. Let it boil over high heat for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Just leave it for an hour or two. Then drain. CONTRARY TO WHAT MOST COOKBOOKS SAY, soaking beans in cold water overnight does not work, even if you boil them for 3 hours the following day.

Heat the olive oil in a casserole. Brown the beef cubes in batches, removing them as they brown. Reheat the remaining olive oil. Saute the garlic and chili pepper. Add the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and bay leaf. Return the beef to the casserole and add the tomato paste. Pour in water (about 2 cups). Add the drained kidney beans. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Liquid should have been reduced by more than one-half by this time. Adjust the seasoning. Add the basil and parsley. Stir for another minute. Serve hot with garlic-buttered toast.

For the garlic-buttered toast :

Blend 1/2 tsp. of minced garlic and 1/4 tsp. of finely chopped fresh parsley with 1/4 c. of softened butter. Spread over bread slices and brown in oven about 6 inches from the broiler. Alternatively, brown buttered bread in non-stock frying pan over medium-low heat.