Velmas Chili Recipes

Steps:

• In a frying pan, brown ground beef. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and drained ground beef into a 6 quart pot. Cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
• A note added: "Dave likes to add fresh, chopped onions on top of his chili serving.".
• My note: I'm guessing that by "small red beans" he meant pinto beans.
• This yields 16 (8 ounce) servings.

Steps:

• Make the chile paste: Add all the dried chiles to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and giving off an intense roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat if they begin to smoke. Add 1 cup water; it should immediately boil. Reduce heat so water barely simmers, and cook until chiles have softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée is formed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Prepare the chili: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fat has mostly rendered and it is starting to sizzle rather than steam, about 10 minutes. (I don't mind leaving the rendered fat in the chili. It homogenizes as the chili reduces, so the end result should not be greasy. However, you can drain the mixture at this point if you prefer less fat in the finished chili.)
• Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chipotles, cumin and reserved chile paste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste reduces to the point that it starts to sizzle and fry, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until homogenous, about 1 minute.
• Add chopped canned tomatoes and scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Add kidney beans, soy sauce and 1 cup water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have developed and chili is thickened to desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and liquor, if using. Adjust texture by adding water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with whatever garnishes you like.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the ground round and saute until browned.
• Add the garlic, onions, peppers, and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
• Add the beans, tomatoes (and their juices), tomato sauce, bay leaf, chili powder, sugar, cloves, salt, and pepper; stir well.
• Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add the red wine and cook another 30 minutes.
• Adjust the seasonings, if needed, before serving.
• Serve bowls of chili topped with grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped green onions.