The name means chillies with meat. It’s that simple, it’s that good. Widely touted as the national dish of Texas, chilli con carne, like Texas itself, used to belong exclusively to Mexico. Every year there are state-wide competitions in Texas to find the best, the hottest, the most authentic chilli con carne and to massively reward the cook. And the recipe we have here is a bowl of powerful meaty flavour, filled with chilli veldfire heat and infused with just a touch of South Africa.
To make chilli con carne for four, you will need:
500g lean topside mince
4 cloves of garlic
2 onions
1 can of tomatoes
2 sachets of tomato concentrate
2 teaspoons of freshly ground cumin
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 can of white beans
2 big fresh chillies
- Chilli Con Carne is manfood, and while there may be some women who eat it, the ideology of the dish is that it’s cooked by men, for men.
- Chilli con carne is best cooked in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan with a fitted lid. Begin by crushing the garlic with the flat of a big kitchen knife. This makes it very easy to peel. Finely chop the peeled garlic and keep it aside in a bowl. Peel and thinly slice the two onions, then thinly slice the chillies.
- Remember that removing the pips lowers the heat. But if you, like the writer, are a chilli addict, this is the time to add another pipped chilli to the recipe! Now pour two to three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil into the frying pan and bring to medium heat. Add the finely chopped garlic, the chillies and the thinly sliced onions and let them sauté in the hot oil until the onions are soft and golden. Stir from time to time to prevent the onions from burning.
- When ready, remove the onions, chillies and garlic and keep aside in a covered bowl. Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and add the minced topside. Quickly break it up with an egglifter and then keep the meat moving as it browns. When this is complete, return the cooked onion and garlic mix to the pan and stir into the meat. Sprinkle two tablespoons of freshly ground cumin over the contents of the pot, stir, then add the can of tomatoes.
- Open the can of white beans, reserve the liquid and add the beans to the pan. When stirring them in, take care not to break them up – they look and taste better whole. Bring the pan to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. If the dish looks too dry, add some or all of the reserved liquid from the can of beans. Put on the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- While all this is going on, cook one big potato per diner in the microwave.
- Serve the chilli con carne in bowls with the baked potato on the side. Some diners like it with rice, others with fresh bread.
- One crazed mate of mine poured his tequila into the mix. Believe me, this did nothing for either the chilli con carne or the dop.
- Wine drinkers might enjoy this powerful combination of flavours with a Tinta Barocca or a rock-solid Shiraz. – David Basckin |fw
