Best Chili evaaaahhhh!

I have to start by saying that Roz makes an excellent Chili con carne, but this one tops it. It tops every one I've ever had in a restaurant too. It's based on the one Heston Blumenthal did on how to cook like Heston last week. I did make a couple of additions as he neglected to mention either seasoning it at any point or sweetening the tomatoes.

My presentation in the photo doesn't really do the flavour justice to be honest.

It's a bit of a faff as it's cooked in three parts the mince and sauce first, then the beans and finally a spiced butter to add the heat to the chili and emulsify it. Here's the Recipe though for anyone who's interested:


Mince

Brown 450 g of mince in olive oil in small batches if you put too much in at once the mince will stew rather than properly browning. I'd do it in at least 3 or 4 batches depending on the size of your pan. Make sure the pan is well heated before you put it in too it should sizzle straight away. Don't work if bits stick as the pan will get deglazed later so it just adds to the taste season the mince as you brown it

When really dark brown tip into bowl

In the pan that you did the mince in add more olive oil then cook a finely chopped Onion and a whole star anise until the onion is translucent.

Add I finely diced carrot, 1 finely chopped green chili, 1 - 2 cloves of garlic 1 tomato and a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree and a bit of sugar

Cook through for a few minutes then add half a bottle of red wine and boil until syrupy (20 - 30 minutes or so)

Add the mince back in with 500ml of beef stock.

Simmer for at least two hours



Beans

For the beans soak 150g of dried kidney beans over night in salted water

Cook down 500 G of cherry tomatoes (with a bit of sugar) for at least an hour then pass them through a sieve. Discard the skins and seeds from the sieve and return the juice/pulp back into the pan on a low heat.

Drain, rinse and add the Kidney beans to the tomatoes then heat gently for 20 minutes. Be careful here as the tomatoes will burn if it's too hot or isn't stirred enough.

Add the whole mixture to the chili.




Flavoured butter

Toast 1.5 tsp. each of ground cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in a pan with olive oil

Add tbsp. tomato ketchup, dash of Worcester sauce and 1 tsp. marmite to a good sized knob of softened unsalted butter

Add the warm oil and spices to the butter and mix through well

Add some butter to chili and mix through to taste. It won't need all the butter and should be added and mixed through according to your taste. The unused butter should keep for a few weeks in the fridge.