Chicago’s weather has not been kind to us the past few days! We are in store for a deep freeze, polar-vortex kind of weekend. Today I thought ahead and decided to do a grocery run for essentials so we would have what we need to weather out the cold indoors. Of course, when I usually leave with a small list I end up coming back with more than that. Today the anticipation of freezing cold temps made me think nothing else but “chili”. I promise it had nothing to do with the 5 lb bag of Fritos Scoops I also bought at Costco.
What is the secret ingredient?!
Well, I might as well spill the beans now since we’re making chili. [ba dum tuss] BLACK GARLIC OIL! I have been preaching black garlic oil as a ramen (noodles) topping forever, but I just happened to have a bottle of my home made stuff handy when I tried it on my chili. The flavor it brought to the chili BLEW ME AWAY.
My black garlic oil recipe has a light note of sesame oil that eloquently opens your senses with its aromatics, but also a big punch of smoky garlic flavor. It is made by cooking garlic in oil until it is scorched black and smoky. I imagine it’s similar to maybe using a well smoked brisket in your chili, except this flavor is like no other with the mix of sesame and smoky garlic in the same bite.
It is also not overwhelmingly “Asian” tasting as adding sesame oil tends to do to food. Much of the “Southwest” spice flavors blended well with the smokiness of the garlic.
Now I will say this “secret ingredient” is optional. This chili recipe is still great and stands on its own. I also just happened to have stumbled upon this fortuitous combination today and had some black garlic oil (aka Mayu) on me. So I get it, not everyone has extra time to prep black garlic oil nor is it a traditional chili ingredient. But truuuuust me on this one, if you happen to have garlic, sesame oil, and vegetable oil laying around… give my recipe a try. Just this once. Then put it on your chili forever and don’t resist the urge to tell your friends the amazing secret you learned.
“To Corn or Not To Corn?”
I think there are differing viewpoints when it comes to corn in chili. Some say it has no room within the walls of the chili pot while others say it is one of their favorite ingredients. I personally think it has its place in specific chili types. In a 5-alarm chili meant to be spicy and hot, probably not. Cincinnati style chili-mac chili or on a coney dog, also a bit much. But the kind of chili I tend to make most often is the “chunky” kind where you may find different kinds of meat & vegetables in each bite like tomatoes, poblano peppers, beans… and corn. I think corn adds the right touch of sweetness and builds on the “chunk” of a chunky chili that is always welcome in my recipe book.
I hope you enjoy!
Easy Chunky Chili with Black Garlic Oil
- Prep – 5 minutes
- Cook – 25-30
- Makes approximately 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tsp Oregano
- 1 14.5 oz Can Red Kidney Beans
- 1 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 14.5 oz can full of water
- 1/3 lb Ground Beef (or meat of choice)
- 2 Beef Hotdogs, sliced
- 1/2 Cup Sweet Corn Kernels (frozen works well)
- 1/2 Small Onion Chopped (save the other half for toppings)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese (topping)
- Sour cream (topping)
- Black Garlic Oil (optional topping)
- Fritos Scoops (optional)
Steps
- Pour olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. While the oil is heating pour in the chopped onions and stir to cover with oil. Cook until translucent.
- Take your ground meat and crumble into pot by hand to brown. Crumbling by hand makes it easier to break down the meet into even smaller pieces. Using a spatula (I find a wooden one works best here) break down the ground meat into a fine, cooked ground consistency. Cook the ground meat thoroughly through and brown it, scraping the bottom every so often.
- When the meat is cooked add the dry ingredients to the pot (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano) and incorporate into the meat. Make sure all the meat is coated and seasoned.
- Add the can of beans and the can of tomatoes making sure to also add the liquids from both cans into the pot. Using one can, fill with water and add that to the pot as well. Stir until the liquids fully mix with the dry ingredients and your chili starts to look more like a soup.
- Add the corn and the sliced hot dogs and stir again to mix it all together. I don’t call for it in this recipe but this is also a good point in the process to add chopped poblanos, jalapeños, or other peppers in case you wanted to add some chunky heat to your chili.
- Cover the lid and set the heat to medium-low. Let cook for 15-20 minutes at a steady low boil, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, throw in your pat of butter and let it melt and incorporate over the top layer of the chili.
- Serve the chili in bowls with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and a generous helping of smoky black garlic oil to finish off.
Chili tastes amazing with cornbread on the side or crumbled on top! For a great cornbread companion see our recipe for delicious cheesy cornbread here.
