Buffalo Billy's Droolin' Chili - Hector's Chili with Bison and Moose Drool

I figured that since it was Halloween and it is my 400th post, that I would write about something very near and dear to my heart(burn).  ;)

Hector's Chili

Back in 2007 I was exposed to this chili recipe by a Bakespace member....  That would be my friend Spryte from Spryte's Place, and her original recipe is located }--here--{  (and linked by the name above as well)  This is the ultimate chili recipe, as far as I am concerned.   In fact, it has become my ONLY chili recipe.  Granted I have done my own slight tweaks to it over time.  Nothing really major mind you, just a few things here and there.  This started because I was having less than stellar luck in finding the recommended "smoked lager" while living in San Diego.  So I opted to acquire my smoky flavor from my own chili powder mixture.... (Schmokin Chili Powder)  utilizing Chipotle and Smoked Paprika as well as a touch of Alder Smoked Salt. But I have veered from my original paragraph topic..... The beer I have come to rely on for this chili is "Moose Drool" (Brown Ale) from the Big Sky Brewing company.

I know, I know.... Here I am, living  in "Microbrew Heaven" and I am buying beer from Montana!!  This is proof positive that I am insane.

The other changes I have made have been dictated by circumstance.  But surprisingly enough, I have found that I like the chili even better.  (which I really didn't think was possible)

The first of these happenstances was when I was out of regular canned tomatoes.  I was forced to use the Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my pantry...  Oh yeah!  YUM!  The other change was the hot sauce. I have a hard time finding Caribbean hot sauce, so I have opted for Louisiana hot sauce instead.  

The final change, and reason for the post title, is that instead of Hot Italian Sausage, I use Ground Bison... With a little more Chili Powder.  ;)  It seems to temper the beef and make it taste more "beefy".  Just trust me... It does.  I think it is because Bison sweetens the Beef a little.

So once again I must shout out to one of my Beeps (BakeSpace Peep) "Thanks Spryte... That Chili Recipe ROCKS!!!!"

Buffalo Billy's Droolin' Chili

(AKA: Hector's Chili with Bison)

1 TB Olive Oil
2 Yellow Onions, Chopped
1 lb Ground Bison
1 lb lean beef stew meat
24 oz Moose Drool (Big Sky Brewing)
28 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes
4 TB Schmokin Chili Powder
1 TB Cumin Seeds, Ground
1 TB dried Oregano
1 tsp Freshly Ground Ginger
1 tsp Smoked Salt
1/4 tsp ground All-Spice
15 oz light Kidney beans, Rinsed
15 oz dark Kidney beans, Rinsed
6 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 TB Louisiana Hot Sauce

The pictures below will not reflect the above measurements, cause I was making a double batch.  (I have to, or there is never enough)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat.

Add onions and sweat then, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Heat a separate saute pan over medium-high flame.

Add the ground Bison and saute until it is not longer pinkish.

Move the cooked Bison to a plate lined with Paper towels and blot the top to remove the excess fat. (there won't be much, Bison is pretty lean)

Transfer the bison to the Chili Pot along with the sweated onions.

Add stew meat and reduce the flame to low.

Add the Moose Drool. LOL (Sorry, That always makes me laugh, especially since it's Halloween)

Break up the Fire Roasted Tomatoes, while they are still in the can, with a knife.

Once broken up, add the Fire Roasted Tomatoes, along with their juices to the chili pot as well.

Give everything a good stir.
Stir in the Schmokin Chili Powder, ground Cumin, Oregano, grated Ginger, Smoked Salt and All-Spice. (Cooks note:  I freeze my ginger root and then grate it with a zester-- So easy)

Cover the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Rinse the Kidney Beans really well. (you don't want canned bean goo in your chili)

Add Beans, along with the minced Garlic, to the chili pot.

Simmer at least an additional 30 minutes up to 1 hour.
Add Louisiana Hot Sauce just before serving or, since I got it pretty hot this time, allow those with asbestos tongues to add their own.  ;)

My favorite, is the proverbial Sour Cream and Shredded Cheddar and a little Pepper Jack.

Oh, and a Buttermilk Corn Biscuit!

It doesn't have to be shaped like an owl though, I did that for my Nieces and Nephews.  ;)

Mangia!! or should I say "Chow's On!!!"
~~

To Russia With Love - Questing for Dressing

The apparent disappearance of "Russian Dressing" came to my attention whilst I was "Flexing my Reuben". Since then, I have been plagued by this thought. In fact, as a result I have been craving a quartered head of Iceberg lettuce that is slathered in the Russian Dressing of my youth. Which only proves my Culinary Insanity. Come on!! I don't even LIKE Iceberg lettuce!!

None the less, I have been haunted by dreams of the somewhat piquant and semi-creamy nature of the unattainable condiment. To the point of chasing a bottle of Seven Seas (that has legs no less) down a long hallway only to have it disappear around a corner. Leaving me all alone, with a talking head of Iceberg lettuce that is berating my for not being fast enough to catch a bottle of dressing. (sigh, I need help)

The plain and simple fact is, because I can't have it... I have been obsessing on the fact that I cannot have it. So, this evening, while I was waiting for my milk to curd up for the Mozzarella to "clean break". I decided to start perusing through my old-old-old cookbooks to see what I could find. Fannie Farmer Merrit from 1921, Mrs. Lincoln from 1989 (the pride and joy of my collection) and the 1953 version of The Joy of Cooking... They were all different. Not surprisingly, no two were the same on the net either.

Annoyed, I decided to take a scientific approach to the problem. I set all the cookbooks down, 1 in each corner of the living room. Then I returned to the center of the room. Using quantum probability can come in handy. I closed my eyes and spun... Once coming to a stop, while trying not to trip over the coffee table, I took a single step forward. The cookbook I was closest to would be the recipe I would use... Quantum Mechanics had spoken.

The original recipe called for Green pepper and Pimento to be finely chopped, this was not the case with the Russian dressing I remember so I pureed them instead. I also added Red Chili Paste and doubled the paprika.

Russian Dressing

Economical Cookery - Marion Harris Neil circa 1918.

2 Egg Yolks

1 tsp Mustard (I used Dijon)
2 TB Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Grey salt
1/4 tsp Paprika (mine is Smoked)
1 TB Green Bell Pepper; finely chopped (pureed)
1 Pimento pepper; finely chopped (pureed)
1/2 tsp Onion Juice
1 TB chili sauce (Tobasco, original)
1 cup Vegetable oil
My addition - 3 inches of Red pepper Paste and I doubled the Smoked Paprika

Please note that the wrong tube is in the photo, I grabbed my Tomato Paste instead of my Chili Paste.

OK, I remember my mom being able to buy onion juice when I was a kid, but I had to make my own... With a zester and a very uncooperative onion.

Puree the Paprika, Bell pepper, Pimento, Onion Juice, Chili Sauce and Red pepper Paste.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks and mustard until pale.

While still whisking, add the lemon juice.

Begin adding the oil a little at a time, whisking constantly to create and emulsion.

When all the oil has been added and the mixture is really thick (Congratulations, by the way, You have made mayonnaise) add the Vegetable puree --

Whisk to combine.

Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Slice your head lettuce into eight wedges, place 2-4 wedges on a plate.

Apply chilled dressing and serve with a knife and a fork.

Still not what I was looking for... This was more like a Spicy French Dressing...
Incidentally, my Boston Cooking School cookbook form 1921 gave a "Russian" Salad Dressing that contained Ketchup and Sweet Pickle Relish with no chili powder or sauce. (Thousand Island anyone?)

My Search Continues.....

Stay Hungry~~

Chili con Corn Biscuits

I have been pretty lucky in life. Grew up in Oregon on a Goat dairy, have traveled to London, have friends who would give me the shirt off their back, I'm owned by a dog, a cat and 5 fish that adore me, (well I can't really tell with the fish, who really knows what a fish is thinking) and about 1 1/2 years ago I found BakeSpace, which is my constant source of culinary inspiration. Yes, very lucky... Even more so, recently, since one of my friends on BakeSpace, Spryte, posted the most awesome chili recipe ever... It's located here at Spytes Place.

I made this chili a couple days ago, and it was delicious, as always.... But since I am a single guy, I have to freeze part of it... As luck would have it, I had friends coming over this evening and I decided it was time to try something that had been batted around the BakeSpace forums a week before. Mini Chili pies. So I got out my Corn biscuit recipe and attempted to make pie crusts in muffin tins... Par baked them then added some chili and finished them off in the oven... It didn't work. I ended up with partially cooked biscuit goo underneath the Chili...

I was mulling over possible resolutions to my soggy biscuit issues, when an email came in notifying me that someone had left a comment on a Chipotle Baked Beans recipe I had posted awhile ago, to let me know that they had liked the dish. Then, while reading the comment, I noticed the photo I had taken... for the solution to my dilemma was before my eyes. I had forgotten about the little cast iron pots that I had buried somewhere behind my microwave on top of the refrigerator!!! Yet more inspiration from BakeSpace.

So after an unsuccessful attempt at mini chili pies, I resolved myself to....

Chili Pot Pies with Corn biscuit crust.

First I modified the Chili, cause I like a little Sour Cream and shredded Cheddar on my chili, thus I had to mix it in ahead of time. So I warmed up 5 cups of Chili to which I added:
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

Then simply stirred occasionally over low heat until heated through and the cheddar melted.
Then filled my little cast iron pots 3/4 of the way (they hold about 1 cup)

Then I made my Corn Biscuits....

1 cup AP flour
1/4 cup Corn Flour or more AP flour
3/4 cup Medium Grind Cornmeal
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1 1/4 tsp ground Sage
7 TB Browned Butter or Bacon Drippings
2/3 cup Buttermilk (Room Temperature)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine Flours, Corn Meal, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Pepper, and Sage in medium bowl.

Brown the butter and stir 6 TB into the room temperature Buttermilk.
Using a fork, mix the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness.
Cut into rounds large enough to fit down into the mini iron pots. (I was lucky, these have lids, so I had a pattern)

Line a baking sheet with tin foil to make potential cleanup easier.
Place in the oven for 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and brush with remaining TB of browned butter.
Place cast iron pot in a bowl and serve

Thanks again Spryte, that Chili is Phenomenal!!!!!

Mangia!!
~~