Chili Con Carne

Or should I say . . . First Timer Basic Chili? 🍲

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Chili, just like the rest of Mexican dishes (or Tex-Mex?), is something I never tried until I moved to the US. The only time I encountered this one in real life was while playing the Sims 2 as a kid. Chili would pop up on the fridge sometimes as one of the lunch menu items you can pick to cook. But even then, of course I had absolutely no clue what it was and just called it . . . you gotta get ready for this one haha, I called it borscht haha. I mean, it looked red as far as I was concerned it looked more like the beet soup I am used to, than anything else.

But anyways, back to the star of this post. When I moved across the ocean and I tried chili for the first time, I remembered this borscht dish from the Sims 2, it tasted nothing like the soup I knew and I loved it! It has been years since then and just like that, out of nowhere I woke up one morning and said: "You know what? I'm gonna make chili today!" haha.

Not quite sure I should post the recipe, I have to be honest with y'all, it is a basic one, sort of.

Prior to making this, I decided to consult my Mexican friend and see if she thinks there's something I should pay attention to or add to the pot to truly bring out the traditional flavors of this dish. She told me that chili is one of those meals you can tweak and make your own and there wasn't any secret or a special ingredient thing, well, aside from using Mexican oregano, which luckily I had plenty of on hand.
But then another mutual friend decided to chime in and mentioned something I would never think of myself, he said that chili benefits from some dill pickle juice, can you imagine?! And then she was like: "Oh yeah, dill pickle juice would be so good in chili". Armed with helpful tips and tricks I was ready to make this basic chili.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef;
• 15 oz can black beans;
• 15 oz can small red beans;
• 15 oz can zesty diced tomatoes;
• 2-3 tb. spoons corn oil;
• 1 onion (diced);
• 1 bell pepper (diced);
• 1 jalapeno pepper (diced);
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced);
• 1/2 cup water;
• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice.

Spices:

• salt (to taste);
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• 1 teaspoon black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon chili powder;
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder;
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin;
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano;
• Tabasco hot sauce (optional).

Toppings:

• fresh jalapenos;
• cheddar cheese;
• sour cream;
• radishes;
• corn tortilla chips;
• scallions.

Directions:

1. Heat corn oil in a heavy bottom pot, add in onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper, cook at a medium heat until the veggies soften up. Add in ground beef, break it apart with a wooden spoon and continue to saute until the meat is browned (5-7 minutes).

2. Next, add in the beans, tomatoes, water, dill pickle juice and spices, stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Give your chili a taste and adjust the seasoning and spice level if needed. Let chili rest for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

The images were taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a Canon EF 50mm - F/2.8 lens.

_{artwork by kookyan}