| Chili Tips from Chef Tracy Griffith |
From "DIY Cooking"
episode COK-119F |
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Chili began as a universal dish called "ragout," which is derived from a French term for meat and vegetable stew. Chef Tracy Griffith shares some exciting chili ideas.
- White chili (figure A) is made with white meat and white beans, such as cannelloni or navy beans. The beans act as a thickening agent, and chicken stock is the liquid.
Green chili, also known as posole, is made with tomatillos, baby green tomatoes with an outer skin. (When you remove the skin, just chop the tomatillo up as you do red tomatoes.) Pork is the meat used in green chili and the thickener or vegetable is hominy (figure B), which is white or yellow dried corn kernels from which the hull and germ have been removed. (When you grind hominy up, you get grits!) Classic chili, or chili con carne (figure C), started in Texas. Con carne means "with meat," and this type of chili usually consists of meat and tomatoes. Purists say not to add beans, so in the absence of legumes, use cornstarch or flour to thicken it.
- Chili doesn't always have to be hot; it all depends on the spices you use. For instance, you can get fresh peppers or dried peppers (figure D), and you can soak dried peppers to get a different flavor (for example, chipotle gives you a smoky flavor). You can buy chili peppers already ground or grind them yourself in your coffee grinder (if you grind them yourself, you'll get a slightly fresher taste).
- When you make seafood chili, be sure to use firm varieties of seafood, such as shrimp, scallops or monkfish.
- The choice of beans is very important in chili making (figure E). You can use dried or canned beans, but if you use dried beans, soak them in water and a little lemon juice overnight to help maintain the texture and color.
- When you make vegetarian chili, first char the outside of the veggies to give the chili a smoky flavor.
- If you're going to make a slow-cooking chili, you need to use harder vegetables because they take a longer time to cook.
- You can enjoy chili topped with grated cheese, sour cream or strips of tortilla chips (figure F).
Special thanks to Pier 1 Imports -- see Resources, below, for more information. Website resources for Chili: Vegetable and Bean Chili from Food TV.com Real Texas Chili from Food TV.com White Chili Surprise from Food TV.com Chili con Carne from Food TV.com Posole from Food TV.com We at DIY believe all of the recipes from DIY Cooking are accurate and reliable, but since we have not tested them personally, we can claim no responsibility if the desired results are not achieved.
RESOURCES :
Cooking for Dummies, 2nd Edition
Model: 0764552503
Author: Bryan Miller and Marie Rama
(2000)
Web site for the Dummies books: www.dummies.com
IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. (An International Data Group Company)
Foster City, CA 94404
Food Lover's Companion
Model: 0812015207
Author: Sharon Tyler Herbst
(1995, 2nd Edition)
Barron's best-selling A-to-Z guide is back and better than ever with 900 new listings and the most up-to-date information on culinary terms.
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Hot!: Fiery And Spicy Recipes For Cooking With Chilies, Peppercorns, Mustard, Horseradish and Ginger
Model: 1884822967
(1997)
Black Dog and Laventhal Publishers
New York , NY 10011
Phone: 212-647-9336
Fax: 212-647-9332
The Food Lover's Tiptionary
Model: 0688121462
Author: Sharon Tyler Herbst
(1994)
William Morrow Books / Hearst Books
Website: www.harpercollins.com
The Ultimate Chili Book: Connoisseur's Guide to Gourmet Recipes and the Perfect Four-Alarm Bowl
Model: 1585744212
Author: Christopher B. O'Hara
(2001)
The Lyons Press
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-620-9580
Fax: 212-929-1836
Chili Nation: The Ultimate Chili Cookbook With Recipes From Every State
Model: 0767902637
Author: Jane Stern and Michael Stern
(1999)
Broadway Books/Random House, Inc.
Website: www.randomhouse.com
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