Chilli - Adapt to your wishes

[Big Frank]

I almost said to toss them all in your chili. It doesn't matter what they are.

P.S. I ate some raw jalapenos all by themselves before. Sometimes the tip of them tastes like a green bell pepper, but once you bite into the placenta, where the seeds are, they get hot.

[Timothy]

Chilies vary greatly in heat units.  One jalapeno will be hot and another will be mild.  Both the same variety.

I like to use minced chilies in my pots.  I can reduce the amount of other spices I use and create the spicy heat slowly as you eat.  No sense blowing out the palate too soon in the meal.  I still used good quality chili powder (several types), cayenne, cumin, onion and garlic powder, just less of it..

I also like some paprika (Hungarian) in there for color and flavor.  Tasting as I go, I'll adjust for spice, salt, maybe add some molasses if it's too tomato'ee, always use dark chocolate and beer reduction...

I've written it down before but every batch is unique...this one I used cubed chuck tender fork roast.  Kept the porky pig out cuz I brought a bowl for a guy at work who can't or won't eat pork!

[Solus]

You all might want to consider adding Ancho Chili Peppers or powder to your list of ingredients. 

This pepper does not add much heat, but it adds much flavor. 

[Timothy]

You all might want to consider adding Ancho Chili Peppers or powder to your list of ingredients. 

This pepper does not add much heat, but it adds much flavor.

Already done....hard to find the chilis but I always have the powder in the pantry.

[Big Frank]

Way back when I was still married my wife and I made a big pot of chili. I was lucky enough to find some dried chilies at a Meijer store I drove by most work days. Meijer is mostly in Michigan and surrounding states, and they have a grocery store and department store rolled into one. One stop shopping as they say. They have some things other local stores don't.

I can't remember all of the peppers I bought but I'm almost certain Anaheim, which is very mild, was one of them. I think I had Ancho and possibly Guahillo too. You can never go wrong with Chipotle, and a Serrano or two will up the heat a bit. I think we had 4 or 5 different kinds of dried chili peppers and used at least one of each. It was good anyway, whatever combination it was. My ex's great aunt or grandmother used to make chilli with seven different kinds of peppers and no tomatoes. I never had it but it sounded good. I don't think there were any dried peppers in it.

You're supposed to soak dried peppers to soften them up, then cut them in half and get rid of the seeds. If you don't mind seeds you can throw them in the pot whole, and if you simmer your chilli long enough they'll soften up. But the seeds are hard, and you get more flavor if you chop up the peppers. That's really the best way to go. If you use mild and medium peppers you can get great flavor without too much heat. That's the way I like it.

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