Here's the recipe for my almost world famous 3-day Chili. (it's not really famous y'all, I just made that part up to make it sound good.) But those that have tried it seemed to like it!
First of all lets talk about the "HEAT" that goes into a lot of chili recipes. I don't want to get on my soap box here so let me just remind you all that the point of adding any ingredient to any recipe is to add FLAVOR, right? No need to try to burn any one down. Remember, you are the same man regardless of how much or how little heat you apply.
Next lets talk about beans. Even if you say you don't like beans in your chili you must agree that there are beans and then there are BEANS. I have converted more than a few no-beaners in my time. Try to be open minded and give something like this a try some time before you say "no beans for me please". If you don't like beans in your chili well then you don't like beans in your chili. Doesn't make you a bad person. But remember, as my old man use to tell me, "If you take the trouble to try something new/different once in a while you will have a lot more things to like about life". And I don't just throw a can or package of beans in the pot. As you will read below dese is sum yummy beans.
This is NOT something you throw together at the last minute for a quickie dinner. But if you have the time and patience it is fun to do and I promise you that you will get rave reviews and many many requests to do it again in the future. If you have left-overs, this concoction freezes well and will keep almost indefinitely. Just be sure to "burp" all the air out of the container as you package it for the freezer.
Walkin' Jacks 3-day Chili
The Beans:
2 lbs dried pinto beans.
1 bone from a Honey Baked Ham with lots of meat still on it or 3 MEATY smoked ham hocks.
1 ring of Ekrich pork/venison sausage, chopped.
1 large yellow onion cut in 1/2" cubes
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 table spoons sugar.
Salt to taste
Onion powder to taste. I use about 1/2 table spoon.
Chopped jalapeno peppers to taste
Directions
Day 1: Sometime after you have dinner, and before you settle in for the evening. Run the tap at your sink on hot until it is running as hot as it will. Rinse beans and cover in a large pot or dutch oven with this hot tap water. Put the lid on it and set aside till the next day. Do not remove cover.
note-soaking the beans is critical. Cooked pinto beans are supposed to be tender. If you just throw dried beans in the pot and cook 'em they will never tender-up.
Day 2: around mid morning, add more water to the pot, add the ham hocks or ham bone, sausage, mustard, ketchup, and sugar. Keeping pot covered (so you don't lose the pot-likkor), bring to a boil and keep adding water and boiling until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. 2 to 2 1/2 hours on medium heat. At this point remove all fat and bones from hocks or remove all meat from ham bone. Discard the fat and bones and place the meat back into the pot and add the onion, bell pepper, celery. Re-cover pot and cook another 45 minutes. Always keep and eye on the water level and don't let the pot go dry.
The beans are now done. You can serve this over rice, or cornbread. It is meaty enough to be a main course. I like to bake cornbread in my black iron skillet to go with this.
Let the leftovers cool and refrigerate over night. This lets the flavors get together and blend more.
You can have the beans again or just go right to the chili phase the next day.
Day 3:To complete the Chili:
Add your favorite chili powder/seasoning mix. (I use Williams or McCormack's original Chili Mix. It has a little more flavor than just chili powder)
Brown 2 lbs of coarse ground chili meat . I don't care for regular ground beef. I like meat I can chew in my chili. If you can get venison, elk, or any wild game it is great to use instead of or along with the beef.
2 cans Hunts diced tomatoes, I know, I know. Go on and put 'em in there anyway!
Bump up the heat slightly if desired by adding a LITTLE more jalapeno or some Tony C's Creole seasoning mix.
Let this simmer over medium heat for about a half hour or so and it is ready to go.
Bon Appetite!
First of all lets talk about the "HEAT" that goes into a lot of chili recipes. I don't want to get on my soap box here so let me just remind you all that the point of adding any ingredient to any recipe is to add FLAVOR, right? No need to try to burn any one down. Remember, you are the same man regardless of how much or how little heat you apply.
Next lets talk about beans. Even if you say you don't like beans in your chili you must agree that there are beans and then there are BEANS. I have converted more than a few no-beaners in my time. Try to be open minded and give something like this a try some time before you say "no beans for me please". If you don't like beans in your chili well then you don't like beans in your chili. Doesn't make you a bad person. But remember, as my old man use to tell me, "If you take the trouble to try something new/different once in a while you will have a lot more things to like about life". And I don't just throw a can or package of beans in the pot. As you will read below dese is sum yummy beans.
This is NOT something you throw together at the last minute for a quickie dinner. But if you have the time and patience it is fun to do and I promise you that you will get rave reviews and many many requests to do it again in the future. If you have left-overs, this concoction freezes well and will keep almost indefinitely. Just be sure to "burp" all the air out of the container as you package it for the freezer.
Walkin' Jacks 3-day Chili
The Beans:
2 lbs dried pinto beans.
1 bone from a Honey Baked Ham with lots of meat still on it or 3 MEATY smoked ham hocks.
1 ring of Ekrich pork/venison sausage, chopped.
1 large yellow onion cut in 1/2" cubes
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 table spoons sugar.
Salt to taste
Onion powder to taste. I use about 1/2 table spoon.
Chopped jalapeno peppers to taste
Directions
Day 1: Sometime after you have dinner, and before you settle in for the evening. Run the tap at your sink on hot until it is running as hot as it will. Rinse beans and cover in a large pot or dutch oven with this hot tap water. Put the lid on it and set aside till the next day. Do not remove cover.
note-soaking the beans is critical. Cooked pinto beans are supposed to be tender. If you just throw dried beans in the pot and cook 'em they will never tender-up.
Day 2: around mid morning, add more water to the pot, add the ham hocks or ham bone, sausage, mustard, ketchup, and sugar. Keeping pot covered (so you don't lose the pot-likkor), bring to a boil and keep adding water and boiling until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. 2 to 2 1/2 hours on medium heat. At this point remove all fat and bones from hocks or remove all meat from ham bone. Discard the fat and bones and place the meat back into the pot and add the onion, bell pepper, celery. Re-cover pot and cook another 45 minutes. Always keep and eye on the water level and don't let the pot go dry.
The beans are now done. You can serve this over rice, or cornbread. It is meaty enough to be a main course. I like to bake cornbread in my black iron skillet to go with this.
Let the leftovers cool and refrigerate over night. This lets the flavors get together and blend more.
You can have the beans again or just go right to the chili phase the next day.
Day 3:To complete the Chili:
Add your favorite chili powder/seasoning mix. (I use Williams or McCormack's original Chili Mix. It has a little more flavor than just chili powder)
Brown 2 lbs of coarse ground chili meat . I don't care for regular ground beef. I like meat I can chew in my chili. If you can get venison, elk, or any wild game it is great to use instead of or along with the beef.
2 cans Hunts diced tomatoes, I know, I know. Go on and put 'em in there anyway!
Bump up the heat slightly if desired by adding a LITTLE more jalapeno or some Tony C's Creole seasoning mix.
Let this simmer over medium heat for about a half hour or so and it is ready to go.
Bon Appetite!
