Greatest Chili Ever (IMHO)

So, I only won 4th place on the chili cook off, but CJ and I think it is great chili.

Start with 6 poblano chilies. Roast them over the open flame on your stove top, then put them in a paper bag and let them sweat. Chop and remove the seeds. Set aside.

Cube 3-4 lbs of pork shoulder. Salt and pepper them and coat with flour. In a deep, heavy pan (I use my dutch oven) brown the meat in a bit of oil. You don't want to crowd the pan, so do multiple batches.

Remove the pork and set aside.

In the same pan, add 3 chopped onions and saute until soft. Add 6 cloves of garlic, 1 T of oregano and 1 T of cumin. Saute for a couple minutes.

To the pan add in 5 cups chicken stock and one can of tomatoes. Deglaze the brown bits the best you can. Then add in the peppers and the pork and any juices.

Bring the whole thing to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for the next 2-3 hours. I had to turn it up at the end to get it to reduce to a nice sauce.

In the last 30 minutes, add in 2 T of chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste.

It is not a spicy chili. It is a flavorful and succulent chili. The meat falls apart and is perfect.

Chili, Rice, and Oh My Gosh!

Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged. Bad Kassie! But I've been busy, or something.

But the weather is right for cooking, so I guess I'll just pick up where I left off.

So, with the weather cool and football on TV, I made some chili today. I never have an actual recipe for my chili, but this one turned out pretty good, so I'll see if I can write it up.

Start by browning 1 lbs ground pork and 1 lbs ground beef. I used organic grass fed beef and organic pork for this. I think with chili, choosing high quality meat matters. You want the meat to stand out and be distinct.

Drain and set aside.

In a Tablespoon or so oil, saute a chopped onion and 5 cloves garlic. I add in a lot of my spices at this time so they can be toasted sort of in the oil. I added in about 2 T. of cumin, 2 T. of cinnamon, 2 t. of cayenne, 6 T. of chili powder, salt and pepper. I use a lot of chili powder because I used the cheap brand. I have a really good spicy Indian kind and 6 T. would be a killer. All these spices are approximate amounts and I adjust by adding more as I go along to see how it tastes. A bay leaf or two would be good here too, but I was out.

I let the onions cook down, careful to not burn them, for about 10 minutes.

Then I add 28oz can of whole tomatoes, 28oz can and a 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes, and a can of tomato paste. For the tomatoes I always use Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes. They have a really great taste.

Then add in 1 big box of organic beef stock, 1 bottle of dark beer, 1 small can of rinsed black beans, 1 small can of rinsed pinto beans, and the meat. Finally, add in some chipotle peppers from a can. I added in 4 chopped. CJ thought it was too hot. I thought it wasn't hot enough.

At this point, the chili will seem really runny, and it is. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then cover partially and simmer on low for the next few hours. I'd say at least 2. You want to condense all the flavors and reduce the liquid. I cooked mine for about 5 hours today.

You need to stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't burn. It really needs to be on low heat or it will burn and ruin the whole pot.

I served with sour cream and cheddar corn bread. It was very good. We now have 3 big servings in the freezer and one in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow.

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Additionally, we got the greatest cooking contraption of all time today- A RICE COOKER. I already cooked up one pot full and portioned it into individual bags and put them in the freezer. This will change how we eat forever. We love rice, but have little patience for cooking it.

I Suck

Yeah, so it has been a month almost. Here's some things I made:

First up was boneless pork "ribs" with an Orange Asian Sauce.
This did not turn out well. The ribs were really a cut up pork loin. I was duped by the Whole Foods butcher. They ended up dry and not very good, but the sauce was great.

The broccoli was sauteed in a bottled black bean sauce. CJ said he liked it, so that means it must have been good. He claims to not like vegetables.

Next up is steamed fish. Whole Foods says that this Chilean Sea Bass isn't terrible and it isn't endangered. I really tried to make this pretty, but I failed.

It is cooked with quinoa, sugar snap peas, and a soy sauce reduction. It was very, very good and healthy.


This never was posted because the condiments are just too much. It obstructs the numminess.

This is a Mexican Pork Stew. It came straight from my Rick Bayless cookbook. It had a very smoky flavor due to chipotle peppers. A little spicy and nicely flavored, this was a hit. The Mexican cheese and avocado made the overall taste wonderful.

Easy BBQ Pork

BBQ Pork Sandwich with Coleslaw and Homemade Baked Chips.

This is so easy, it takes a long time, but it is easy.

Cut a pork shoulder into chunks, it doesn't matter what size really. I cut them about 1 inch by 3 inches. Place them in a very wide pan and cover with water. I also added about a half of a chopped onion and a couple teaspoons of salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for an hour.

After simmering, take off lid and bring back to a full boil. Boil off the liquid. When it gets down to where the pork is starting to fry a little (most of the water gone), drain off the remaining liquid.

Here's the tricky part. Go to your fridge, grab a bottle of barbecue sauce and dump about half in. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes and break apart the pork.

Serve on buns with coleslaw.

Greens- I Love Them

(Balsamic Greens and Pork Chops)

I love greens. I love kale, mustard greens, chard, and collard greens. CJ likes greens, but they don't like him.

I love curry. Vietnamese curries, Thai curries, Indian curries, Malaysian curries, all types. CJ likes curries, but they don't like him.

I love dairy. Ice cream, cream soups, custards, gratins, everything. CJ loves dairy, but dairy doesn't like him.

I love spicy food. Vindaloo, hot peppers, chilies, hot wings, hot sauce in general. CJ likes spicy food, but it doesn't like him.

You get the picture.

It drives me crazy, but it also gives me a challenge: how do I come up with interesting and tasty foods that we can both eat?

I love a challenge in the kitchen. Bring me your vegans allergic to soy and wheat, I'll make a great meal. Give me your picky eater, your onion hater, your allergic to garlic neighbor, and I'll come up with something. I love it.

But sometimes I have to have my greens. So CJ and I compromise. I make foods that don't like CJ on Fridays and Saturdays, and pair it with something CJ really likes, like pork.

It works out pretty well.

I am a Slacker

Sorry about the weeks of not posting. It wasn't that I haven't been cooking, I have. It is just that I didn't get pics of everything and that I'm lazy.

So, here you go, a big long list of things I've made recently, with some pics.

1) Roasted chicken- One of CJ's favorites. Super easy and real tasty.
2) Split pea soup
How I love split pea soup. I made a whole bunch last week, froze some, and have been eating it for a few days.
3) Squash- Sauteed with some onions, one of my favorites.
4) Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ugly, but good.
5) Fava beans and tomatoes- I threw this together real quick one night, and it turned out good. By real quick, I mean under 3 minutes.
6) Homemade applesauce


7) Carnitas

These were really good. Take a couple pounds of pork shoulder and cut into cubes. Add enough water to cover, the juice from a small lime, and a couple pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes on medium low covered. Uncover once tender and let water boil off. When it does, it will start frying itself in its own fat.

We ate it as we do tacos. It was really good. REALLY GOOD. The recipe came from my new cookbook, The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. The cookbook is also great. If you are interested in learning to cook real food, it is a great starter. She does the basics, then goes on to other things, all which look excellent and simple.

Made Dinner Anyway

The damn CSA folded, but I still made a great dinner with some seasonal, locally produced veggies and meat.

Pattypan squash, stuffed with tomatoes, rice, and peppers. Locally raised pork chop. Corn on the cob.