How To Make My Chilli | Vintage Folly

I love big, stock pot cooking. I think it’s because I like to be a good hostess and prefer to be able to feed anybody and everybody that visits my house until they are full! Lancashire Hot Pots is a favourite in my house as is Spaghetti Bolognese and Chilli.

I have eaten alot of chilli in my time and I know a number of great chilli makers. I’m not saying that this is the correct way to make it, I’m not even suggesting it’s the best…..this is simply MY way and I never have any leftovers!!!

My method uses the fewest pots and pans possible, which is another reason to love big stock-pot cooking: less washing up!!

You will need:

500g minced beef

1 white onion

1 pepper

1 tin of chopped plum tomatoes

1 tin kidney beans

hot or mild chilli powder

mixed spice

1 clove of garlic

1 beef stock cube

tomato puree

2 rashers smoked back bacon

Optional: Garlic Puree and culinary chocolate

Method

Very finely chop your onion and cook gently in a heavy frying pan.

Finely chop your pepper (I have used half a yellow and half a red pepper) and add to the pan.
Once the peppers have softened slightly and the onions have started to become translucent, add 1 heaped teaspoon of chilli power and 1 half teaspoon of mixed spice.

Stir until coated and cook for a further 5 minutes and empty into a large Casserole dish.
Finely chop 1 clove of garlic and add to the mixture.

In the frying pan you have just used, brown the minced beef. Drain off any liquid.
Grate into the mince, approximately 1 teaspoon of dark or culinary chocolate. Mix well.
Add the mince to the Casserole dish and mix well.
Once again, in the same frying pan, brown 2 rashers of smokey bacon and then using kitchen scissors, cut into small squares and add to the casserole dish.

To make the sauce, dissolve a beef stock cube in 300ml of boiling water. Add a tin of chopped plum tomatoes and 2-3 tablespoons of tomato puree.
At this point I add a tablespoon of garlic puree, but this is up to you. Our family really likes Garlic!!
Cook on the hob until bubbles appear and then add to the Casserole dish.
Stir all the ingredients together and cook in a medium oven for 20 minutes.
Drain and rinse a can of kidney beans and gently stir into the chilli. Cook in the oven for a further 5 minutes.