Larry's Paleo Chili
I entered my chili in a charity chili cook-off we had at work. I took first prize. Here's the recipe I used. Feel free to adjust to your own taste.5 lbs. Ground Beef
1 pint of beef stock (home-made is best)
2-3 TB Bacon Fat
1 Large Red Onion
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
1 Small Can Tomato Paste
2 Large Portobello Mushrooms
1 Small Bunch Parsley
Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Ground Cumin
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Merlot Wine
Garlic
Oregano
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (may be found in the Latino section of a large or specialty grocery)
Brown the meat in the bacon fat. You may have to add some beef stock to keep it moist. Once it is brown, empty the container into a crock pot and set it on "high."
Chop the onion and sauté it in olive oil and Merlot. Add it to the crock pot and mix into the meat.
While the onions cook, put the pepper in a toaster oven at the highest setting for 10-15 minutes. When it's done, remove the seeds and connective ribs. Chop and sauté it in olive oil and Merlot. Add it to the crock pot and mix into the meat.
Treat the Portobello mushrooms as you did the onion.
Put 2 of the chipotle pepper and a TB of the sauce into a pan with olive oil and 3-5 cloves of chopped garlic, sauté while breaking up the peppers and garlic cloves and then add to the mix.
Fine chop the parsley and add to the mix.
Add 1 TB of ground cumin, 1 TB Oregano, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, and 1 tsp. kosher salt.
Allow to cook in the crock pot for 1 hour, stirring as needed to get all of the spices blended. Add beef stock if it seems to be getting a little dry.
Over the next two hours, taste and add seasoning (and maybe a little more merlot) until you are satisfied.
Note: The two seasonings that are easily over-used are cumin and salt. Use both sparingly. The cumin will come out more and more during cooking. Don't use more unless you can't detect it. There should be no more than one teaspoon of cumin per two pounds of meat in the eventual mix.
Salt will emphasize many flavors. Use a little to start, and then add sparingly during the final adjustment. Always use less than you think you need and give it time to work before adding more.
By Lawrence Tagrin. Posted to the PaleoFood list on 29-Nov-2012.
