Recipe: Bildner's Chili (J. Bildner & Sons Grocery, Boston)

BILDNER'S CHILI

"Good chili, like chowder, gets better after a couple of days. We sell so much of this chili in our Boston stores it's a wonder Boston isn't famous for chili instead of baked beans. If you prefer, you can make this classic chili with strips of lean beef rather than ground beef."

3 medium onions, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
10 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds lean ground beef
6 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons corn flour (masa harina)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
3 cans (3 ounces each) mild green chiles drained (or hot if you prefer your chili very spicy)
2 cans (16 ounces each) red kidney beans, drained
1 (1 pound 13 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
FOR SERVING:
Grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, diced red onion, sour cream, and chopped green chiles (for topping)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy non-aluminum pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Saute the chopped onions and garlic for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the onions are translucent.

Add the ground beef and sear, breaking up any large chunks of beef with a spoon.

In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, corn flour cumin, sugar, cayenne, oregano, salt, pepper, and. Sprinkle the mixture over the meat, reduce the heat to medium, and stir. Add the chopped chilies, kidney beans, canned tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste, and beef broth. Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes with the spoon. Bring the chili to a boil, raising the heat if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for 2-3 hours.

Serve with grated cheese, diced red onion, sour cream, and chopped green chilies to top.

Makes 8-10 servings
From J. Bildner & Sons Grocery, Boston
Source: Best of the Best from New England by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley