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!!!"
~~

Lend Me Your Ears - Orecchiette con Bietole y Ricotta Salata

So I was mindlessly flipping between 487 channels this morning. Knowing full well that there wasn't going to be anything of interest on any of the channels that I have not already seen a million times already.... I mean REALLY, how many times DOES the History channel have to run "Hitler's Inner Circle"...? Come one!

Then I flipped past the Food Network... big mistake... For who should be presenting a pasta dish, but my beloved--Giada. And with one of my favorite pasta shapes too... Orecchiette (little ears).

Her combination of grape tomatoes, Ricotta Salata and Swiss Chard sent me into uncontrollable drooling. Then again, I had been staring at the TV like a thrall. So that may have had something to do with it. LOL

I have already combined Swiss Chard and Pasta before, when I made Conchiglioni con Bietole. But I loved her additions (though I did change a couple of the proportions as well as 2 ingredients). Giada's recipe is available at the Food Network web site HERE. But this is what I did with her idea. Not a whole lot different, but it's my spin on her dish.

I roasted the tomatoes in the oven separately, instead of adding them to the fry pan for starters. I also used a higher percentage of Swiss Chard and chose to replace the Baby Spinach with Arugula as well as swapping out the lemon zest with that of a Meyer Lemon.

Orecchiette con Bietole y Ricotta Salata

2 cups Grape Tomatoes
1 (15-oz) can Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
16 oz Swiss Chard, after stemming
6 oz Arugula
16 oz Orecchiette
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
8 oz Ricotta Salata cheese, Cubed
the Zest of one Meyer Lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 and place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 20 -30 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the Garbanzo Beans and set aside.

Remove the ribs from the chard....

Then rough chop it.

Rough chop the arugula as well.

Drop the Orecchiette into the salted boiling water and cook according to package directions (about 9 minutes)

Begin heating the Olive oil in a large skillet, adding the garlic cloves.

Remove the garlic when it begins to brown.

Add the chard and a pinch of salt, then toss a little to coat with oil, letting it wilt.

Once the chard wilts down a little, add the arugula and toss, allowing the whole thing to wilt down.

Cube the Ricotta by slicing the wedge into slabs.

Then cut the slabs into strips and finally cut the strips into cubes..

Zest the Meyer Lemon.

Drain the pasta and pour into a warmed bowl.

Add the Wilted Greens and Lemon Zest

Toss well.

Add the Garbanzo beans, Roasted Tomatoes and toss again.

Add the Ricotta Salata and a little salt and pepper, then toss a final time.

Your ready to serve.

The garbanzo beans were so creamy that it almost felt like I had smothered the pasta in a cream sauce. It was awesomely delicious! And fairly healthy to boot. Thanks Giada!!!

Mangia!!
~~

I'm Strong to the Finich, Cause I Eats Me Spinach......

Giada gets me in trouble...

Yeah, that's right... I blame this recipe on her. I was watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network, and she was talking about this Lasagne Verde. Yeah, Lasagne... so you know that grabbed my attention.

Evidently there is this restaurant down in L.A. called Angelini Osteria that serves a Green Lasagne made with a Veal & Beef Ragú and Spinach Pasta all bound together with Béchamel and Parmigiano-Reggiano. HOLY COW! As if that wasn't decadence on a plate already. Then the whole thing is topped off with Deep Fried Spinach. Awesome!!!

I HAD to have some. But not feeling like making a 15 hour trip by car, I decided to just try and make it myself. I mean, I make a Beef and Veal Ragú to serve over pasta, the funny part is that I like to serve it over Spinach fettuccine.

I have made spinach pasta many times and Lord knows I know how to make Béchamel, since it is key to my own "Lasagne alla Svizzero/Garfield" as well as Mornay sauce for Hash Pinwheels and Spinach à la Florentine. So, this is what I came up with.

OK, I left off the deep fried spinach, cause I think the lasagne is already fattening enough since I used a whole pound of Parmigiano-Reggiano when layering it. LOL

This is gonna be a Loooooooooong post. If I had not been such a masochist, I would have separated the Ragú and the Spinach Pasta into individual posts and then brought everything together in a third. But I was actually preparing all three simultaneously, so I just decided to edit all 71 photos and make one rather lengthy post to show the work flow. :)

After all, Lasagne is SERIOUS business. LOL

Lasagne Verde

Ragú di Manzo y Vitello
1/2 cup (28 g) Dried Porcini
2 cups (473 ml) Warm Water
1 lb (453 g) Boneless Beef Chuck
1 lb (453 g) Ground Veal
6 TB Unsalted Butter
3 Shallots, diced
2 Celery Ribs, diced
2 Carrots, diced
4 TB Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
2 TB AP Flour
3/4 cup (177 ml) Veal Stock
2/3 cup (155 ml) Sauvignon Blanc
Kosher Salt and Pepper
3 1-inch chunks of Lemon Zest, no pith

Lasagne di Spinaci (Spinach Pasta)
5 oz (141 g) Raw Spinach (though you can use frozen)
1 3/4 cup (219 g) AP Flour
1/2 cup (60 g) Semolina
1 tsp Salt
3 Large Eggs
1 TB Olive oil

Béchamel
6 TB Butter
6 TB AP Flour
pinch of Salt
3 cups Whole Milk
pinch of Nutmeg
pinch of White Pepper

For Layering
2 14.5-oz (411 g) cans of diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes (to stir into the Ragú, when it is finished)
1 TB Unsalted Butter, to rub the pan down
1 lb (453 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded

First you need to make the Ragú, cause it will have to simmer for 2 1/2 hours, so lets recap on the ingredient list for the Ragú.

1/2 cup (28 g) Dried Porcini
2 cups (473 ml) Warm Water
1 lb (453 g) Boneless Beef Chuck
1 lb (453 g) Ground Veal
6 TB Unsalted Butter
3 Shallots, diced
2 Celery Ribs, diced
2 Carrots, diced
4 TB Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
2 TB AP Flour
3/4 cup (177 ml) Veal Stock
2/3 cup (155 ml) Sauvignon Blanc
Kosher Salt and Pepper
3 1-inch chunks of Lemon Zest, no pith

Soak the dried porcini in 2 cups warm water for 30 minutes.

While the porcini are soaking, go ahead and prepare you vegetables...

And cut the beef into 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) chunks.

Begin heating the butter over low heat.

Remove the porcini from the liquid and squeeze them as dry as possible.

Then chop them.

Add the Shallot, Celery, Carrot and Porcini to the pan and sweat them all.

Strain the mushroom liquid through a paper towel set in a strainer (I was out of cheese cloth)

Cause you want to remove any possible sandy grit.

To the mushroom liquid, add the Veal stock

Then add the Sauvignon Blanc.

Add the Parsley to the sweating vegetables and mix thoroughly.

Add both the chopped Beef Chuck and the Ground veal to the pan.

Increase heat and saute until brown, then add the Flour and the Clove, tossing to coat the ingredients in the pan.

Pour in the Stock/Wine mixture, then season with a little kosher salt and Pepper.

Add the Strips of Lemon Zest,

then bring to a simmer.

Cover, reduce heat to the lowest possible temperature and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

After the first hour is up, remove the Lemon Zest, cause it's spent by this time.

You can also begin making the Spinach Pasta. (I went outside and roasted some Tanzanian Coffee in my Air Popper while I was waiting the first hour) LOL

5 oz (141 g) Raw Spinach (though you can use frozen)
1 3/4 cup (219 g) AP Flour
1/2 cup (60 g) Semolina
1 tsp Salt
3 Large Eggs
1 TB Olive oil

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Drop the Spinach and cook for 10 minutes, until tender.

Drain and allow to cool.

Meanwhile combine the AP Flour, Salt and Semolina in a small bowl, then dump it onto the counter, creating a well in the center.

Squeeze out as much water out of the spinach as possible.

Toss in a food processor with 1 egg and puree.

Once you have a fairly smooth puree, go ahead and add the remaining 2 eggs and the olive oil;

then puree again until nice and smooth.

Pour the Spinach puree into the well.

Begin stirring with your fingers, gradually, until eventually.....

you will have a soft dough.

Begin kneading the pasta to incorporate the remaining flour,

Until a smooth elastic dough is formed.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let set for 30 minutes or longer.

If the Ragú is at the 2 hour mark, you can remove the lid and let more moisture evaporate until it is fairly thick. About another 30-45 minutes.

While the dough is resting, make the Béchamel.

6 TB Butter
6 TB AP Flour
pinch of Salt
3 cups Whole Milk
pinch of Nutmeg
pinch of White Pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the flour.

Whisk until the roux is bubbly.

While whisking constantly, add the milk to the roux.

Cook until the Béchamel is thick and bubbly.

Remove from the heat and add the Nutmeg and White Pepper.

Cover the Béchamel on the surface so it doesn't crust, then continue with the pasta.

Remove the Ragú from the heat and stir in the fire roasted tomatoes,

then set the Ragú aside to cool slightly.

Divide the pasta into 4 pieces.

Working with 1 piece at a time,

Wrap the other three in plastic.

Dust the pasta ball with a little flour.

Dust the roller as well.

Roll the first piece through the rollers, on the widest setting.

Fold it over and run it through again... Repeat this a couple of times to knead it well.

Continue rolling the pasta through the rollers, decreasing the width of the rollers each time,

until you have 1 long sheet. (I usually go to level 4 on the Kitchen Aid rollers for lasagne)

Cut the sheet to fit a 13x9 pan sprinkle with flour to keep them from sticking together, and cover with plastic while continuing with the remaining pasta.

Bringing it all together.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter your 13x9 lasagne pan. (the first commandment "Thou shalt always butter thine Lasagne Pan")

Spread 1/2 cup of the Béchamel over the bottom of the pan.

Lay down a layer of Spinach Pasta.

Spoon 1/3 of the Ragú over the pasta.

Spread 1 cup of the Béchamel over the Ragú.

Top with 4 oz of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Add another layer of Spinach Pasta.

Add 1/2 of the remaining Ragú.

Top with 4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Lay down another layer of Spinach Pasta.

Spread the remaining Ragú.

Cover with 4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese.

Lay down the last layer of spinach pasta and pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Béchamel over the pasta.

Sprinkle with the remaining 4 oz of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Just until the top becomes all nice, brown and bubbly; remove from the oven and let rest about 5-10 minutes.

Cut and serve...

OK, I will admit it, the deep fried spinach would have made for an awesome presentation. But after one bite, presentation didn't matter.... I was ready to bury my face in the pan, to heck with a plate man.

Mangia!!
~~