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Question of Beef and Green chile chili recipe in FC 113 p 83

Question of Beef and Green chile chili recipe in FC 113 p 83 (post #71501)

bearbq on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 17:52

Cooking Discussion

I just cooked the "Beef and Green Chilie chili recipe on page 83 of the new issue, 113. It says it should serve 6 and yield 2 quarts. I barely got 4 servings from this recipe. I don't understand how you can add 5 cups of liquid, cook for 50 minutes and get 2 quarts of chili. It does not say to cover the pot for simmering. Perhaps if the chili were simmered with a cover and thickened a little more at the begining of the 50 minute simmer , you would get 8 cups. Even if you had 8 cups, each serving for 6 servings would be ~ 1.3 cups, not a lot of food. Where am I wrong.

chili (post #71501, reply #1 of 9)

by Pielove in reply to bearbq [original] on Sat, 09/03/2011 - 17:21

Hey bearbq--

How much chili did you get? I think you have nailed it that how much you get depends on how hard you simmer during that 50 minute step. Too bad recipes don't include an estimation of variance: "95% of the time, this recipe yields 6 cups plus or minus 1 cup, which will serve 2-8, depending on the number of side dishes and the appetites of the diners."

I'm not trying to be snarky here-- I have had the same problem with other recipes, the "is that all there is"? feeling. Reminds me of the old days at CT-- one time I mentioned only serving 4 with a roast chicken and someone went off on me about Supersizing, fat Americans and their huge portions.

So, was it good chili? If I make it, I will measure the volume before and after the 50-minute simmer! I just got my copy of that issue, so you are way ahead of me.

pie

Personally, I don't think (post #71501, reply #2 of 9)

by Gretchen8 in reply to Pielove [original] on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:24

Personally, I don't think this simmer time would make that much difference in the end amount, covered or uncovered. The tortillas are going to absorb some of the liquid--and add some volume of their own. I just think it is a "small" recipe, and should be treated as such. Even if it made the amount it said, it would be a small serving for chili--as a main course.

Wish the powers that be would weigh in on it for their "guiding principles" in serving sizes.

I'm not sure who would argue much about serving only 4 from a 3-4 lb. chicken. I can certainly ge more from teh rotisserie super jumbo chickens from Costco, but not much more from a regular supermarket chicken.

Question of beef and gheen chile chili FC 113 p 83 (post #71501, reply #4 of 9)

by bearbq in reply to Gretchen8 [original] on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 17:08

I think time should have an impact. I know it does when I simmer spaghetti sauce. Different tomatoes have different water volumes and the longer you simmer it the thicker the sauce. Also if there is a cover on a simmering liquid, the liquid in the pot will condense on the cover and re-enter the chili. Inuncovered pots, you evaporate the liquid to concentrate the flavors, which this recipe did just fine. I wonder if the tortillas did absorb more than would be expected. That's a good thought. Maybe adding more liquid would solve the problem. Let me know if you try it and get your impression.

Yes, of course simmering will (post #71501, reply #5 of 9)

by Gretchen8 in reply to bearbq [original] on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 17:55

Yes, of course simmering will have "some" effect. I just don't see much need to pore over this recipe, add more liquid, etc. It is the fault of the recipe and the writer for the amount, and the number it will serve. I would double it and be done with the discussion. Sometimes things are just simpler than trying to find out if the recipe writer is correct. If you liked the flavor, then just double it or at least double the fluid parts and maybe some extra hamburger.

Question of beef and gheen chile chili FC 113 p 83 (post #71501, reply #3 of 9)

by bearbq in reply to Pielove [original] on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 16:58

I didn't measure the final volume. I know my wife and I could have eaten the whole amount at one sitting. When it said makes 2 quarts and serves 6-8, I figured it would be enough for 2. I did save about half a cup for a lunch. It was delicious. I got the Anaheims and Jalapenos from my garden, roasted them on my Big Green Egg for extra flavor, and used home made broth. Let me know if you make it and what you think. It was slowly simmered, not bubbly boiling. Perhaps more liquid. The tortillas will vary in how much they absorb of the liquid.

Big green egg (post #71501, reply #6 of 9)

by Pielove in reply to bearbq [original] on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 12:34

Ooh, that sounds delicious, with the roasted peppers-- I will have to try it-- just in the name of science, of course. Yeah, that does sound like the listed servings were a bit skimpy-- hmm, good thing you didn't have guests over! Thanks for the tipoff on that!

pie

Beef Chile chili recipe FC p 83 (post #71501, reply #7 of 9)

by bearbq in reply to Pielove [original] on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 14:34

You can get a nice smokey flavor in the peppers from the hard wood charcoal. I used to roast them on the Weber before I got the Egg, the greatest invention in the world. (I can pput a 6.5# pork butt on it and start it at 11PM and it will hold a 200 degreee temp all night until 6PM the next day with moist falling off the bone pork for pulled pork). In the winter I roast the peppers on the burners of my gas stove in the kitchen. I tried the broiler in the oven and don't like the way they turn out. I'm just going to add more liquid the next time and cover it for 20 minutes to get good flavor.

This is the first chili from (post #71501, reply #8 of 9)

by Adele in reply to bearbq [original] on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 10:06

This is the first chili from the recipes that I want to try. Good info on the amount at the end, thanks. (Good thing you didn't plan on serving it for more than you and your wife)

But, but, it's SUPPOSED to taste like that!

You can roast peppers in the (post #71501, reply #9 of 9)

by Gretchen8 in reply to bearbq [original] on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 11:24

You can roast peppers in the oven at 400* and get a good char. Easy easy. Do a whole tray at once and freeze.

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Question of Beef and Green chile chili recipe in FC 113 p 83