Re: [CH] Rants and Raves

Dave Drum (xrated@cityscape.net)
Mon, 12 Apr 1999 18:23:37 -0500

> I, for one, am disappointed that the grump of one person has caused the well
> of recipes to dry up.  I'm here because I want to learn about peppers and
> how to eat them (would love to be a left-over-nibbling mouse in the Hallowed
> Halls of Doug).  Being a certified ‘brown thumb', I doubt that any of your
> advice on germination, virus, 10-24-36, etc will do me much good, but ‘I
> tried this last night and it was really good' recipes are important.
> Shuttling me away to a list of recipes at some web site is OK at times, but
> I like the information straight from the horse's m-m-m.. fingers. [End rant
> two, end rant all]

OK, OK, I can take a hint. I'll risk the wrath of the Massachusetts
Mangler and
post a few of my receipes. I've made/made up all of these and they are
staples in my kitchen.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Uncle Dirty Dave Drum's Prize Winning Chilli
 Categories: Chilli, Tex-mex, Beef
      Yield: 1 servings
 
      4 lb Chilli grind round steak
      4 ts Garlic powder *
      1 lg Onion; chopped fine
      4 ts Cocoa
    1/2 ts Ground coriander (opt) **
      3 tb Kraft Beef Base
     24 oz V8 (straight or picante)
      1 ts Cayenne pepper
      8 tb Chilli powder
      4 ts Cumin
     16 oz Can Red Gold diced tomatoes
           With chiles
           Or-
      1 lg Tomato, diced w/juice and a
      4 oz Can of Old El Paso or
           La Preferida green
           Chiles ***
           Strong coffee; opt'l
    1/2 ts Brown sugar; opt'l
 
  * I use garlic powder (or granules) because they are pretty
  consistent as to taste and strength. I like fresh as much as the
next
  guy. But, it's nice to use ingredients that are the same from batch
  to batch.
  
  ** This used to be 2 teaspoons of ground coriander (soapweed) but I
  was getting "strange taste" comments on judge's sheets until I cut
  this ingredient waaaay back. Now I win prizes with this receipe once
  again.
  
  *** Apropos of fresh ingredients - you can substitute Anaheim (aka
New
  Mexico) chiles for the canned chiles. Processed New Mexican chiles
  are what is in the can anyway. The fresh chiles are fairly mild (low
  heat) and quite flavourful.
  
  Use a 12" cast iron Dutch Oven. Toss 4 lb. of chilli grind round
  steak into the pot and start browning it. Add 1 tsp. of garlic
powder
  per pound of meat. While meat is browning chop a large onion
  reasonably fine. When ground round no longer shows pink add the
diced
  onion and 1 tsp cocoa (Hershey's or Nestle') per pound of meat. Toss
  in 2 tsp ground coriander. Stir in 3 Tb. of Kraft Beef Base. (note:
  this is pretty salty - watch it) Add about half of a 48 oz. can of
V8
  (straight or picante') juice and 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper. Continue
  to simmer and stir. When onions are clear toss in 2 Tbs chilli
powder
  per pound of meat. (I use Chilli Man, Mexene, or Gebhardt's) and 1
  tsp cumin per pound of meat. Add the Red Gold diced tomatoe with
  chiles or a 4 oz. can of Old El Paso or La Preferida green chiles
  (chop and seed if you grabbed the whole peppers by mistake). Add the
  diced tomato and its juices.
  
  Continue to simmer and stir until onions are tender and completely
  transparent adding V8 juice as necessary. If you run out of V8 use
  either unsalted 'mater juice or strong coffee to add liquid. Total
  cooking time about 90 minutes. If you're cooking at home you can
  serve this batch at this point. See below for longer schedules and
  the "kicker".
  
  If you're on a 3 hour schedule - most cook offs are - turn off stove
  and let your pot marinate for about an hour. About 30 minutes before
  turn-in time relight the stove and bring the chilli back to a
simmer.
  Taste carefully and critically. This is final adjustment time. If
  it's too salty try adding about 1/2 tsp of brown sugar. If the
chilli
  has died or gone flat add 1 tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp cumin per
  pound of meat and simmer right up to time to put in judging cups.
  
  As evidence that any receipe is a living, breathing organism this
one
  was revised and updated immediately after the Mount Auburn Volunteer
  Fire Department's Annual (1998) Chilli Cook-off. I didn't win
(dammit)
  but second place isn't anything to sneeze at. It beats kissing your
old
  maid aunt on the lips.
  
  Developed, revised, typed by Uncle Dirty Dave
  FROM: Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Uncle Dirty Dave's Red Pork Chilli
 Categories: Pork, Chiles, Mine
      Yield: 6 servings
 
      3 lb Fresh picnic shoulder
           Cubed in 1/2" cubes
      1 cn Red Gold diced tomatoes
           W/chiles (or Ro-Tel)
    1/2 c  Water
    1/4 ts Ground coriander
    1/4 ts Garlic Granules
      1 cn (4 Oz.) Old El Paso
           Chopped green chiles
           Salt and Pepper
      2 md Bell peppers - cut into
           Strips or diced coarse
      1 lg Onion - chopped
      2 ts Chilli powder
    1/2 ts Cumin
 
  In a 10 or 12 inch, well seasoned cast iron skillet heat the salt,
  pepper and garlic. Add the meat and stir around until all sides of
  the cubes are gray. Add 1/2 cup of water and continue to stir until
  all water is absorbed or cooked away. Let the meat fry in its own
fat
  until it starts to brown. Add chopped onion and cook a few minutes
  longer. Add tomato sauce, chiles, pepper, coriander, cumin, chilli
  powder and more salt if needed. Reduce heat to simmer and cook
  covered 30 minutes or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
  Serve with Spanish rice or Cajun rice.
  
  Serves 4 to 6
  
  Developed, tested and enthusiastically approved at Uncle Dirty
Dave's
  Kitchen, Springfield, IL. It be GOOOOOOD stuff, Maynard.
  
  Format by Dave Drum - 19 August 98
  FROM: Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Alabama Picnic Chilli
 Categories: Chilli, Tested, Beef
      Yield: 10 servings
 
      5 lb Coarse-ground beef
      1 lg Onion, diced fairly fine
    1/2 c  Green bell pepper, diced
      2 tb Beef base
      1 tb Cocoa (Nestle or Hershey)
      5 ts Powdered garlic granules
      1 ts Ground cumin
     48 oz Can tomato juice
      5 tb Plus 3 ts chilli powder
    1/2 ts Fresh black pepper
 
  Combine the beef base, tomato juice, chopped veggies, cocoa and 4
  tespoons of powdered garlic in a dutch oven over a low (simmer)
flame.
  
  Divide the hamburger into three more-or-less equal batches and brown
  it in a separate skillet. Add 1 teaspoon per batch of chilli powder.
  When browned and crumbled drain excess fat and add to dutch oven.
  Repeat until all ground beef is in the chilli pot. Add the black
  pepper to the chilli pot.
  
  Stir in 1 tablespoon per pound of meat of the chilli powder (5 Tb
for
  this batch). Cover pot and let simmer, stirring once in a while.
When
  the onions and peppers are cooked (about 1 1/2 hr) taste the pot.
You
  will probably find that you'll need to add the remaining tablespoon
  of garlic powder and the teaspoon of ground cumin. You may also want
  to add an additional tablespoon of chilli powder at this time. Trust
  me on the garlic and cumin. It adds the final kick. Neysa tasted
  before and after and could not believe how much difference it made.
  Simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes and serve.
  
  For those desiring a hotter product add cayenne until your lips turn
  numb and your sinuses drain if you like. I made this batch
extra-mild
  in deference to picnic attendees who don't handle heat real well.
  Sadly, Maya Houston thought it was still too hot after she tasted a
  spoonful. &^(=
  
  Format and receipe by Dave Drum - 18 August 98
  FROM: Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM
  
ENJOY!!!
-- 
Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchens
Home of Yaaaah Hoooo Aaahhh HOT Sauce & Hardin Cider