A few things I do to help boost flavor:
-toast/bloom your spices. This is so easy with chili, just dump the spices into the beef once it’s released some fat. The fat helps the spices really zing. You can also toast them separately in a dry pan and then dump them into the chili. I’m lazy and don’t want to use extra pans.
-if you use beans, add the bean liquid. It adds a rich, thick, luxurious mouth feel. This goes for canned or fresh cooked. Just note the salt content here. I buy low/no salt added beans and canned veg so I get to control the salt, but if you have regular beans just go easy on the rest of the salt when seasoning.
-BROWN the meat. Getting a brown “crust” on the bottom of the pan (not burnt) is great flavor.
-use tomato paste, not just regular tomatoes. The tomato paste ha already been cooked down for hours and hours, it gives your dish that same flavor.
-try your tomatoes and adjust seasoning for them. I use canned tomatoes, and one pack I bought (unfortunately 6 cans!) were all super duper acidic. They needed some extra sugar to neutralize it.
-using different types of chili, I use whatever I have on hand, but often that is a mix of regular chili powder, ancho chili (Smokey), fresh poblanos, canned chipotle and adobo, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't spell it either, lol.

But seriously -- what about your attempts are leading you to call them failures. Like PP said, is it turning out too greasy, the seasoning isn't right, you don't like the texture? What about chili you have had that you liked is missing from what you are doing?

I can spell, I'm just partially sighted and words with lots of letters the same shape sometimes slip past me.

OP ignore the moron. Good luck with the chili.

Anonymous wrote:This is a good vegetarian chili - https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-chili-recipe/

Still haven't found the great meat chili. I like the Pierre Franey quick turkey one on NYT for its ease/taste ratio
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili

Along these lines, we love Cookie and Kate’s other vegetarian chili. This one :
https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/

And after a lot of trial and error with various recipes, we like this meat one from Once Upon a Chef. And it calls for baking soda mixed into the meat and sitting for 10-20 min prior to browning. Recipe says use 80/20, but I use 90/10 and it turns out great. You may want to half the spicy spices first time you make it.

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/classic-beef-chili.html

Are you using onions?

Dried spur chillies.

Fat is important too. Chop up 1-2 pieces of thick bacon. Cook in pot, remove and save bits. Brown the meat in the bacon fat.

Sauté the onions on low heat for a longer time, makes them sweeter. Add small amounts of water so they don’t burn. Never add sugar.

For spices, use high quality chili, cumin, Mexican oregano.

Add cayenne for heat or throw in some chipotle chili peppers.

Add more salt.

You can do it OP. I grew up in Cincinnati, home to the famous Greek owned Skyline Chili. It is easy to make and much better than chunky chilis. You can buy Skyline Film packs on Amazon. Use a can of tomato paste with it. No need to brown the meat. Add a few cups of water and boil it and then simmer. Top with cheese in a bowl or put it on spaghetti noodles or hot dog/bun.. Add beans and onions on side only if you like them. I don't.

I make this https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-chili/ frequently, but completely omit the sugar (yuck). Super simple, foolproof, and tasty. The key is the chili powder. Use fresh. McCormick is bland. Badia is better. I always add cayenne, but I like heat.

Anonymous wrote:And spelling it!

😂😂

And spelling it!

There truly cannot be anything more easy than making chili.

A rule of thumb on salt… health guidance is basically a teaspoon of salt a day per person. So if you figure 1/4 to 1/3 of a teaspoon per serving for dinner you should be fine. So if you’re making a pot of chili to serve 8, 2-3 teaspoons is probably right. You could probably go a little higher if you’re not worried about sodium and think the rest of the day is much lower sodium (figuring most people are eating most of their sodium with dinner).

This is a good vegetarian chili - https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-chili-recipe/

Still haven't found the great meat chili. I like the Pierre Franey quick turkey one on NYT for its ease/taste ratio
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili

Anonymous wrote:I have a NM friend who sends me ground chile in the mail faithfully so I never have to buy it.

I don't measure seasonings, but: brown the ground beef (olive oil) and cook the onions, adding minced garlic when I combine onions and meat after draining off some of the grease.
I'll use a whole onion (large-is) for a pound of meat.
I soak and cook beans usually but otherwise 2-3 cans but I add seasoning right before adding beans and whatever form of tomatoes (usually a can of crushed whole and a can of diced)
I don't measure seasonings but I add cumin (probably close to a T because I love cumin), oregano (usually Mexican) and I would say at least 1/4 cup of ground chile. Maybe a tsp or 2 of salt, never more than that.
The diced tomato liquid goes in as well.
I'll add water or stock (usually veg because I save scraps in the freezer and make it whenever a quart ziplock is full and freeze) as needed. I'll let it start to boil and simmer, no timing but probably at least a half hour, longer if it's too liquid.
Sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of cocoa powder but not consistently.

Agree that NM ground chile, cumin, Mexican oregano is a good base; paprika would help too. You should be sauteeing the spices with your meat for a couple of minutes before adding tomatoes, then cook that combination for a few minutes to blend flavors before adding beans. 1 tsp of salt is far too little for this much chili, especially if you are soaking and cooking your own beans. Try 2 tsp if using canned beans and start with 3 if using dried ones.

I agree that if you are adding a lot of spices but can’t really taste them, it is because you are not adding enough salt. Somehow the salt enables you to taste the other spices.

I made quick chili last night and this is what I did:
Brown 1/2 lb grojnd beef with 1/2 grated onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, and ground up carrot, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 T flour. Add can black beans and can tomato sauce. Add a couple tablespoons chili powder, teaspoon cumin, bunch of dried oregano, couple splashes of Frank’s hot sauce, couple good sprinkles of garlic powder and onion powder. Simmer 2 hours. That was enough for about 3 people. It was pretty good, maybe a little too heavy on the chili powder.

I don’t usually use a lot of salt in cooking but chili is one of those things that definitely needs it.