So, sadly, the last of my chili was consumed for lunch today. Knowing I could make due with eggs, bread, cereal and PB&N (peanut butter and nutella) sandwiches, I decided that I wanted to finally try something I've always wanted to. I tried to make a Thai inspired chili.
This is actually more risky and complicated than anything I've tried before. Not because the prep work was hard, nor the cooking, but because I had zero idea how it would turn out. My greatest fear was it would be inedible, and I'd need to throw out a bunch of food. Wastefulness is a sin (or so I was taught), so that was a real concern for me. But I'm pleased to say, so far it seems like this might work. Here's what I did.
1.25 lbs chicken breast cubed
28 oz peanut butter
20 oz diced tomatoes
1 large sweet onion
3 cloves garlic
16 oz hot salsa
2 dried red chili peppers
4 habanero peppers
3 scotch bonnet peppers
8 tablespoons soy sauce
7 tablespoons sriracha sauce
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablspoons chili powder
Mostly cook the chicken in a skillet and throw it into a crockpot. Dice all the plants (I used a little food processor for this), toss that in. Pour in the peanut butter, tomatoes, salsa, and sauces. Stir well, put on low and let it go. That's it.
It's been cooking for about 2-3 hours so far and I tasted it. I like it. It might be a little too peanuty, but I don't consider that a bad thing personally. I haven't eaten any of the meat yet, because I want to make sure it's all fully cooked first, but I think this is going to turn out pretty well. Now, I don't know that this is something that is going to be eaten straight from a bowl like my other chili, but after cooking down some, it might; I'm not yet sure. What I PLAN on doing, is cooking some rice noodles, spooning the chili on top, and throw some bean sprouts in there for each serving.
How's it taste? Sweet, savory, spicy for sure (but strangely all front loaded with little afterburn). I'll update as I learn more.
Here it is stirred into some rice noodles:
ReplyDeletehttps://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1798519_10203518049298306_2695970_n.jpg
My verdict? Next time I make it, I'll use less peanut butter and more hoisin. But I like it!
That looks fantastic. Even though I know you put peanut butter in it.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the bacon?
ReplyDeleteEric Hines
Between the habaneros and the Scotch Bonnets, I assume it melted.
ReplyDeleteMikeD from previous posting:
ReplyDeleteGringo, I realize that my spicy food habits are abnormal, but I will also say, I have a very healthy respect for these peppers. I would not dare try to eat one raw, and only use them while cooking (and only in large batches of food).
I found out the difference between cooked and raw in Peru. In addition to using ají peppers - like serranos- in my cooking stews on a camp stove, I had purchased stuffed rocoto peppers from street vendors. I found the stuffed- and cooked- rocotos rather tasty. One time at a hotel at the prompting of one of its clerks, I tried eating a raw rocoto. I broke out into a sweat, and my heart palpitated some. I learned my lesson about raw versus cooked, and eating a hot pepper with other food. Perhaps the vendors took out the seeds, also.
When I was working in Trinidad, I partook of its ubiquitous Trini pepper sauce used there like we use catsup or salsa. Trini pepper sauce is made with scotch bonnets, which are supposed to be among the hottest, but it is bearable. Granted, I didn't consume the pepper sauce by the cupful, but I didn't find it horribly hot. One unique aspect of the Trini pepper sauce is that they add mustard. The copious use of garlic also helps temper the heat.
For hot peppers, you need strong flavors to temper it. This recipe has a number of ingredients to temper the heat- peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce.
ReplyDeleteI recently learned why the Thai use basil a lot. I eat 4-6 serranos most days- pulverize w vinegar in a blander, then cook for 5 minutes. Salsa base. Instead of my standard tempering with papika & a bunch of Italian spice, I tried going heavy on the basil. Very good.
Maybe after these recipes I will again try some habaneros. At a local store you can get them dried for $6/lb, which is a very good price.
I edited the recipe, because I realized that I had forgotten the 3 tablespoons of chili powder that are also in there.
ReplyDeleteAnd I left the crockpot on overnight. This was a mistake. I won't say I ruined it, but it's definitely not as good today as it was last night. So this can become overcooked (not a problem I've had with chili before).
Eric, there is no bacon. I know, I know, but I save all bacon in the house for my wife. It's not that I don't like bacon, it's that I like other pork products more, and she absolutely loves it. So I let her have all the bacon. Now I DO love cooking with bacon grease, even though it's terribly unhealthy.