Ever heard of a Potjie Pot? It’s the cutest cast iron chuck wagon pot you’ll ever see. I became a bit obsessed with the Potjie Pot when I was out at the Chuck Wagon Cook-Off in Chandler last month. There among the giant, industrial strength 45-quart Dutch ovens was this little pot that could. It has now become one of my favorite cooking vessels and the perfect pot for stews and chili. Now that we actually have some cooler weather in the evenings, a big ol’ pot of chili sounds great. My favorite red chili recipe comes from the man who knows a whole lot about food. Jack Clifford created the Food Network years ago and has been a die-hard foodie ever since. His chili has won awards and is a sure fire crowd pleaser at my house. Jack’s recipe feeds a pretty big crowd, so I’ve scaled it to a family sized portion. If you have company for the holidays, however, just double up on the ingredients. By the way, if you’re curious about the Potjie Pot, you can check it out at www.potjiepotusa.com. You can also check out Jack Clifford’s book, “The Least Likely To Succeed” on Amazon.com.
Servings |
- 2 pounds stewing beef cut into half-inch cubes
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- flour for coating meat
- 1 sweet yellow onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons red chili pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoons oregano flakes
- 1 tablespoons dried jalapeno (ground or flakes)
- 6 beef bullion cubes dissolved in a cup of water
- 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)
- 28 ounces water
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup corn flour mixed with water into a paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
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- Dredge stewing beef in flour and brown all meat in large frying pan with oil. Sprinkle one half of the chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes and jalapeno powder over browning meat. In large Dutch oven or soup pot, add diced tomato, tomato paste, bullion, water, cider, sugar and remainder of spices. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Sauté onions and garlic until soft and translucent and add to soup pot. Add spiced meat to pot. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn to simmer and cook for minimum 2 hours. Stir chili frequently so meat doesn’t stick to bottom of pot and burn. Add corn flour and water mixture to chili during the last thirty minutes if chili needs thickening. Add salt and pepper to taste. Important: Stir pot especially during last half hour so flour doesn’t stick to bottom of pan. Serve with bowls of heated beans, cheese, chopped green and red peppers, sour cream and flour tortillas.