As the weather begins to chill, there’s really nothing quite like welcoming the changing season with a hot bowl of hearty chili. Chili at its core is pretty straightforward, you may include ground beef, beans, chilis, spices. Perhaps you’ll do a chicken version with green chilis and white beans. But what if you want to expand the concept a bit? You may discover a whole new level of experience.
“When I think about making chili more interesting, I start with the protein,” Antonio Franco, ButcherBox corporate chef, told me in an email.
We tend to associate chili with ground beef, but there’s an incredible opportunity to explore different meats, textures and flavor profiles. “For me, great chili is about building layers of flavor, developing richness through cooking techniques and finding the right balance of heat, acidity and texture,” said Franco.
The goal is to create something unexpected while still delivering everything people love about a great bowl of chili.
Crispy Carnitas Chili Verde: Pork Butt, Tomatillo, Poblano, Orange, Cumin
“Instead of simmering pork in green chili, slow-cook pork butt with garlic, cumin and orange peel, then shred and crisp a portion of the shredded meat in a hot skillet. Fold the remaining pork into a roasted tomatillo and poblano chili with white beans and finish each bowl with the crispy carnitas,” said Franco.
Calabrian Sausage & White Bean Chili: Italian Sausage, Calabrian Chili, Cannellini, Fennel, Pecorino
This is a tomato-based chili built around crumbled Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, cannellini beans, toasted fennel and Calabrian chili paste. “Mash a portion of the white beans into the sauce to create body naturally, add a Parmesan rind while simmering for another layer of savory flavor, and finish it with Pecorino Romano, parsley, and a little red wine vinegar,” said Franco.
Harissa Lamb and Chickpea Chili: Ground Lamb, Harissa, Smoked Paprika, Chickpeas, Preserved Lemon
Ground lamb gets simmered with tomatoes, harissa, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander for exceptional depth. “Brown the lamb well and bloom the spices in the rendered fat before adding liquid to create a deeper, rounder flavor. Chickpeas replace traditional kidney beans in this chili. Finish with preserved lemon, fresh mint and a spoonful of thick Greek yogurt in place of a sour cream dollop,” said Franco.
