My recipe for Chilli con carne

Easy to do, good to eat and great for a party .

My chilli con carne recipe is just one of many that I have gathered along the way and this is more of a concoction of all the best elements rolled in to one. I hope if you do make it you like it. And if you find a better way of making it then do so. For that is the grate thing about a good Chilli con carne you can make it your won by doing it your way.

You will need the following

2 tbsp olive oil
1kg/2lb 2oz beef mince
6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 chillies, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g/14oz tinned tomatoes
250ml/9fl oz beef stock
400g/14oz tinned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
small bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Dash of bourbon (optional)

Now for the best result I think is make it and chill it down then reheat and eat the next day or two latter. So this is good if you are having a party you can make this in advance and then heat and eat when every one turns up.

First get a good sized pan and add the oil. Let it heat and add the onions and cook them till they start to take a little colure. While the onions cook take the streaky bacon and slice it in to as many slivers as you can, the finer the better. Then add them to the pan and keep on cooking them so that they all start to crisp and cook. What you are dong is getting all the flavour out of the bacon and in to the dish.

Next add the beef and fry that of with the onions and the bacon. Once more you are looking for the beef to brown. Once that you have fully browned you meat add your dry spices and garlic. This will help them realise the flavours. Then add the fresh vegetables and the diced chills.

At all times keep stirring and turning so that nothing sticks and starts to burn and you will be fine. But what you are doing is combining all the flavour right there in the pan. Any crystallised bits of fat or beef and bacon do not worry about as you are going to get them back in to the dish as you now add the stock.

Once that you have done that you can add the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Then let every thing cook so that it thickens a little and finally add the kidney beans and you have finished the first part of the cooking. Now turn it in to a dish and chill it over night.

Then when you are ready to serve the chilli re heat and add the fresh coriander and if you like a dash of bourbon as well just to give it a lift as well. I only add the bourbon if the chillers were on the mild side as you miss the flavour of the drink in the finished dish if they are to hot. But do not worry I always find some thing to do with it if I do not cook with it.