Wednesday, April 6, 2011

family style chili

chili is something tilly made often......and it was damn good.  she didn't have a recipe....she knew what she was doing.....it wasn't a fancy meal just warm and hearty.  my dad  ronnie was also a pretty good everyday cook....i say every day because he was the cook in our home...my mom...not so much.  dad made a very good version of tilly's chili....but she would never tell him exactly what she put in hers.....she was his mother in law....and there was a fair amount of cooking competition between them.....and not a lot of secret sharing.  this picture was taken one summer when the shipyard unions were on strike....both dad and grandpa were on picket duty....you can see the sign behind my dad.  this is the kind of day that tilly would make a batch of chili for all of us.  this picture  looks just like the goofy 60's photos on greeting cards at the drug store....and this is my family....it makes me smile!!!! this is my recipe which i suppose is a compilation of how i remember their chili tasting with some twists of my own.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (really good hamburger from the butcher)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you like spicy)
1/3 cup mild chunky salsa
1/2 large can of san marzano whole tomatoes hand crushed
2 small cans of b&m baked red kidney beans
kosher salt and black pepper

recipe continues after the jump
use a big dutch oven add the olive oil and ground beef and cook on medium heat until brown.  add the onions, and cook until translucent.   add spices, salsa and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. add beans stir together and simmer for half an hour.  you can serve it at this point or if you have time you can let it simmer longer.   i serve it in a bowl over white bread ( tilly and ronnie both did this) and top with grated cheese.

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