Chilli con carne

For my very first post, I will use a recipe (and photos) I have made a while ago. I wish I could post something a bit more exciting and complicated (with better pictures), but because of my operated foot, my cooking performances have been drastically diminished lately. And, must I say, I miss cooking really really badly! Well, well, with almost one month left of my 'forced holidays', I cannot wait to try myself on some more complex 'projects'. Naaaah, but I guess it is just as nice to get started with a less sophisticated  but equally yummy recipe. 

I used Jamie Oliver's recipe for Chilli con Carne from his book Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Serves 4

2 medium onions
1 clove of garlic
olive oil

2 level teaspoons chilli powder

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (I prefer it chopped a bit more roughly. If you want it a bit spicier, try some slices of finely chopped habanero pepper)
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin (or crushed cumin seeds)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
455gr chuck steak, minced, or best minced beef

200gr sun-dried tomatoes in oil

2 x 400gr tins of tomatoes
1/2 stick of cinnamon
2 x 400gr tins of red kidney beans, drained

You will need a metal pan or casserole with a lid that can also go in the oven. You can cook it on the stove or you can prepare this spicy  delight in the oven. If that is your case, preheat the oven to 150 C.

Fry in a little olive oil finely chopped onions and garlic. Add the chilli powder, fresh chilli, cumin and a little seasoning.  Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring until it has browned.  Make a paste with the sun-dried tomatoes in the food processor with some of the oil from the jar.  Add them to the meat with the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and a glass of water.  Add more salt or ground pepper according to your taste.

For dishes like this, I prefer chopping the onions and chilli a bit more roughly. 

Start boiling and cover the casserole with both greaseproof paper and the lid. Turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. You can also transfer the pan to the oven for the same amount of time (just remember to check that you pan CAN go in the oven). Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the beans  - they are already cooked and only need warming up.

This dish tastes better if you cook it the day before. In this case, all the amazing flavors have time to develop and get even more astonishing. It is a good tip in case you've got friends coming over and don't want to spend your evening in the kitchen. 

Serve your Chilli con carne with fresh crusty bread, a nice tossed salad, and a big blob of natural yogurt or guacamole. Don't forget to add some tortilla chips. 

Bom apetite!