Chilli con carne

It's time for an all American classic that also happens to be an official symbol of Texas by virtue of the House Concurrent Resolution No. 18, 65th Legislature, Regular Session (1977) - chilli con carne! Already before the WWII chilli con carne could be easily bought at "chili joints" throughout the South-West. Since then its popularity has not diminished and it remains a popular fast food that can be served with rice, tortillas, or even as a top up for fries. Chilli con carne is probably the most popular material of cook-offs: according to wikipedia the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) sanctions over 550 chili cook-offs annually. There is also a world championship with regional qualifying events for those feeling brave enough, organized by the the International Chili Society (ICS). This of course means that there are perhaps as many versions of the dish as there are participants of those competitions - literally hundreds. Here's my take on it:

You'll need:

500g ground beef

600g red kidney beans (canned)

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 table spoons of tomato concentrate

1/2 red onion

1 onion

1 medium carrot

5 red chilies

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

fresh coriander leaves

cumin

oregano

smoked sweet paprika

Worchestershire sauce

sunflower oil for frying

sour cream (optional, to serve with)

dark chocolate (optional, for a more authentic Mexican feel)

1. Finely chop the onions. Peel the carrot and chop it into small pieces. Fry them all in a deep frying pan/non-stick pot with a generous dose of oregano and cumin for about 3-4 minutes. Towards the end of the frying add garlic and 2 finely chopped chillies.

2. Add the mince with a little bit of water to the frying pan and brown it. Add some salt as you do so.

3. As the meat browns, add sweet paprika, a few drops of Worchestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato concentrate and the remaining chillies.

4. Turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer for 2 hours. As the moisture evaporates keep adding water (or beef stock) and stir from time to time.

5. Add beans during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time.

6. Chop the coriander leaves and stir into your chilli or just sprinkle on top.

7. Serve with rice/tortillas together with cream and/or grated dark chocolate (it will melt immediately on top of a hot chilli).

Bon appétit!