Sinbad's Chili

For anybody who grew up on the east side of Detroit, or who might have been fortunate enough to have been a boater (or be a friend of somebody who was a boater), there is a restaurant located on the Detroit River called Sinbad's Restaurant and Marina.  Sinbad's has been in business since 1949, serving boaters and landlubbers alike.  The restaurant has a commanding view of the Detroit River and Belle Isle.  Sinbad's has great food, and serves a great version of chili.  Decades ago, the Detroit Free Press would publish recipes from local restaurants.  One day, they published the recipe for Sinbad's Chili.  Here is the recipe once again:

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2lbs - 2lbs ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 large can (28 oz) of tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
- 1 can (14-15 oz ) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (8 oz) water or beer
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 10-12 oz tomato juice (I used two 5.5 oz cans of V-8 Juice)
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 heaping teaspoon cumin (my addition)
- 1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Directions:
Combine the large can of tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, crumble in the ground meat.  Add the chili power, onions, tomato paste, tomato juice, cumin (if desired), and kidney beans (if desired).  Lower heat and simmer on low or medium low for one hour.

Cook's Notes:
You can allow the chili to simmer for hours.  The original recipe did not have cumin.  I added it a few years after I read that cumin is used in a lot of chili recipes.  I think that it really added a nice taste to the chili.  What I really like about this recipe is how easy it is to make.  Also, you can add shredded cheese or sour cream to it, if you like those ingredients.  This chili is great for days after you make it.  Enjoy!

Touchdown Chili

For Super Bowl Sunday, we decided to kick back and make something easy to eat before the Niners and the Ravens take the field.  Below is the recipe we made and it is a keeper.

Ingredients: 

- 2lbs ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 4oz. can diced green chilies
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 bottle or can of beer (12oz.)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pepper hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 or 4 carrots, peeled and sliced (optional)

Directions:

1.  Place the ground beef, onion and garlic in a large sauce pan and gently saute over medium heat.  Stir to crumble the beef and cook until the  beef is no longer pink and the onions are tender.  Drain off the fat and water, and return the beef mixture to the pan.  Combine the chili powder, basil and cumin, then sprinkle over the beef.  Cook and stir to coat the beef and toast the spices a little.

2.  Pour in the tomatoes, green chilies, tomato sauce, beer and vinegar.  Bring to a boil.  Mix in the brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, black pepper and carrots.  Transfer the chili into a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Cook's Notes:

We have made a lot of different chili recipes and this one rates up there with the best.  It was easy to make and absolutely delicious.  We used Tabasco sauce for the "hot pepper sauce," and we added carrots to the original recipe.  We served the chili with grated cheese and sour cream.

Beef and Lamb Chipotle Chili

We made chili tonight at the Cafe.  I found a recipe for Chipotle Chili and made a few changes to it with the items I had on hand.  Try serving it with some sour cream and grated cheese.  This recipe is a keeper.


Beef and Lamb Chipotle Chili


Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 TB bacon fat (or olive oil)
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small can of chipotle pepper(with seeds) finely minced
- 1 TB adobo sauce from chipotle can
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 12oz package of frozen squash (defrosted)
- 1 16oz bag frozen corn
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 bottle of beer
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes


Directions:
1. Brown meat with fat in pan.  Drain the meat and set aside.
2. While the meat is browning, finely chop the onions and garlic.  Cook chopped onions, garlic, chipotle pepper, chili powder and squash in the same pan the meat was browned in for 7-8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer this mixture into a large pot.
3. Place the browned meat into the same large pot.  Add the frozen corn, tomato, beef stock and beer into the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer. After 30 minutes, taste the chili and adjust seasoning to your  taste.  Cook the chili for 30 more minutes and then serve.
4.  Add sour cream and grated cheese to the chili, if desired.


Cook's Notes:  This is a variation on a recipe I saw on a cooking blog.  I substituted frozen squash for fresh squash, and I added the corn.  I also used a can of chipotle peppers and I minced the peppers before adding them to the  pot.  If you do not like lamb, you could just use ground beef.  I used lamb because the original recipe called for it and I have a pounds of frozen ground lamb left from a 1/2 a lamb we bought last year.  The chili was spicy, but not too hot

Paul's Chili

I purchased a couple of whole beef tenderloins recently. I asked the butcher to trim the tenderloins and grind the trimmings. These trimmings make an excellent chili. As luck would have it, we felt like making a pot of chili for dinner tonight. Below is the recipe I used:

Chili con Carne

2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 carrots, sliced
3 lbs boneless beef chuck, ground coarse
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook the onions in the olive oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened. Once the onions are softened, add the garlic and carrots, then cook and stir the mixture for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook it over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and the red pepper flakes, then cook and stir the mixture for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, cider vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil. After the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 60-90 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 15 more minutes.

Serves 6

The chili has about another hour to go. We also have sour cream and grated cheese to top the chili. Yum!

Chili con Carne y Cordero

It is a cold, wet day outside the Cafe, which is perfect weather for a pot of chili. I am making a slight twist. Instead of using 3lbs of ground beef, I am going to use 2lbs of ground beef and 1lb of ground lamb. This recipe I am making will be my first use of the lamb we purchased from Mirror Lake Farm. Full report to follow!

Chili con Carne y Cordero

2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 carrots, sliced
2 lbs boneless beef chuck, ground coarse
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook the onions in the olive oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened. Once the onions are softened, add the garlic and carrots, then cook and stir the mixture for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook it over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and the red pepper flakes, then cook and stir the mixture for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, cider vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil. After the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 50 to 60 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 15 more minutes.

Serves 6

Chili

It is a cold and rainy Sunday, which makes it a perfect day to make a pot of chili. I am going to try the recipe below:

- 2lbs ground beef or turkey - 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 16oz. can whole tomatoes - 1 T crushed red pepper
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce - 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
- 16oz. beer or water - 2oz. chili powder
- 8oz. tomato juice - 1 bay leaf
- 2 6oz. cans tomato paste - 1 T cumin

In a large pot, crush the whole tomatoes, stir in the tomato sauce, tomato juice, onion, crushed red pepper, ground pepper and water/beer. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and crumble in half of the meat, then add the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Now crumble in the remaining meat and simmer uncovered for an hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is an easy recipe and the chili can be made as spicy as you like.