A Chili In The Air
Cheeseboro Kitchens — Here in the northeast Americas, we've been enjoying/suffering extremely unseasonable warm weather, some of these December days reaching into the mid-70s Farenheit.
I had been looking very forward to a season or two of low-and-slow cooking, usually kicking it all off with a big pot of chili that I could hibernate with over a few days.
Unfortunately, I had to wait until the thermometer dipped down to the comparably chilly mid-50s until I ran out of patience and decided if I was going to have to sweat it out in my very small apartment, I was only going to do it once on that Friday so I could enjoy my chili over the rest of the weekend—especially as it would get better with each passing day.
So some chopped scallions were sweated in the bottom of a large pot in just a touch of rendered bacon fat. Then ground beef and ground lamb were added, along with crushed tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, seasonings and water. Covered and simmered it for almost three hours and enjoyed my first taste of it over some rice with some grated colby jack and cheddar cheeses.
With plenty left over, I looked very much forward to enjoy some more of it the following morning in an omelet with the same cheeses.
The next day, that Sunday, the chili made for a great chili cheese dog, though I substituted Schaller & Weber smoked brats for hot dogs.
It turns out I was very fortunate to have a dish so savory, spicy, homey, that still evoked the comforts of a hot winter meal, even when December wants to pretend it's spring.
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KAC 2-MEAT 2-BEAN CHILI | Spicy Ground Beef and Lamb Meat Chili with Kidney and Pinto Beans | Colby Jack and Cheddar Cheeses
