Mexico is a country of culinary exoticism. Chile con carne, the recipe of which is well known to every self-respecting hostess on the Yucatan Peninsula, is translated from Spanish as "chili with meat."
This is a traditional dish for Texas and Mexico.
Stew or soup? Chile con carne!
This dish is a cross between a fragrant, very spicy soup and a rich thick stew or goulash. The main ingredients are ground beef (in the form of minced meat or chopped into small pieces) and hot pepper. All other components vary greatly depending on the region and the preferences of the cook. But there are a number of products that are most often added to chili con carne. The recipe is very successfully supplemented with onions (onions or leeks), garlic, paprika, tomatoes (they can even be called the third obligatory ingredient) and beans (often red or spotted). It is believed that the Texas variety of chili con carne (the recipe is very popular in this state) is prepared without beans.
Some chefs use unsweetened cocoa in small quantities to give a flavoring accent to the dish. This ingredient is added at the very end of the preparation. Honey can be replaced with sugar.
Spices are used in large quantities in Mexican chili con carne. In addition to pepper, put zira, oregano, bay leaf and coriander. In general, all those seasonings that can improve the taste of good meat. This dish is served with sour cream or grated cheese. I must say that, despite the spiciness, this soup has a very harmonious taste.
Chile con carne. Recipe
Beans for this dish can be taken canned, or you can dry, which must be boiled in advance.
In a large pot, this is approximately one can. Or a glass of dry beans. Seventy grams of hard cheese is also required. And all the above spices. Chili powder can be replaced with red ground pepper - it needs about one tablespoon. The main ingredients: eight hundred grams of minced meat or finely chopped
beef tenderloin, three hundred grams of meat, chopped into large pieces, two onions, four cloves of garlic and as many tomatoes, a couple of spoons of tomato paste.
Grind the tomatoes in a blender. In olive oil, first fry the beef, cut into larger pieces. Chop onion and garlic. Now add them to the roasting beef. Next, put the minced meat or finely chopped meat. Add red pepper. Fry until the largest piece of meat in the slice becomes evenly brown. Now put in a pan tomatoes and tomato paste, oregano, salt. Pour in a little water and simmer under a closed lid over high heat. Lower the bay leaf into the pan briefly. It must be taken out so that there is no bitterness. To achieve full readiness, the dish needs to be stewed for about twenty minutes. At the end, add the beans, wait until it warms up, and serve. Sprinkle with grated cheese each serving. The question arises: "Is it possible to cook a vegetarian version of chili con carne?" Yes, with the addition of soy meat or tofu. But in this case, the dish will be called chili sin carne (chili without meat).