Chili for a Chilly Day

Even though Saturday evening had been an "Orgy of Protein," I decided to make chili on Sunday. It's a perfect dish to make on a day when my attention is turned to football. (Go Ravens!) All I needed to do was some relatively minor prep (cook onions, sear meat, open cans) and sit back and let the magic of slow braising do its thing.

I hate the dog-food texture of chili made with ground beef, so I always use beef that has been pre-cut into chunks for stewing. Except this time. The stew meat at Giant seemed really expensive to me, so I bought a rump roast that cost about $.60 less per pound and cubed it myself. The chunks were of a more manageable size, which worked out better.

If you're interested, here's my chili recipe. After nearly five hours of simmering, here is the glorious result:

A big bowl of red, garnished with chopped sweet onion, shredded Cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. I also made some cornbread, using the recipe on the back of a bag of Indian Head White Corn Meal, with some changes. I like to add corn and cheese to my cornbread, which caused it to be quite raw inside at the original 20-minute cook time and required a time adjustment.

White Corn Bread

2 c Indian Head Corn Meal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c milk

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1 c fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Preheat Oven to 450 F.

Combine dry ingredients. Combine milk, eggs, and oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Add corn and cheese and mix until combined. Pour batter into a 8" or 9" square pan. Bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. (If you find the cornbread is browning too quickly, cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes, or, lower the oven temperature to 400 F.

This recipe makes a really moist, non-sweet, bread with a crunchy crust. If you like your cornbread on the sweet side, I'm sure adding a bit of sugar wouldn't hurt.

How do you like your chili? With beans or without? Prefer your cornbread sweet or not? I'd love to share recipes. :)