Chillin’ With Chili

It’s that time of year again, packing away the swim suits and tank tops and pulling out the sweaters and hoodies. There’s a chill in the night air, the days are getting shorter, football is on the tv and it’s got me craving some Good Ol’ comfort food. And there’s no better comfort food than a nice warm bowl of hearty chili…not too spicy, but just enough to warm you up.

“Everyone I know has their own recipe. The chili I grew up eating always had lots of beans, meat and tomato sauce…but now being on keto, we need to omit the beans, and limit the amount of tomatoes, without sacrificing the flavor or texture of your traditional chili. Easier said than done”.

But with a little inspiration from our friends over in Texas, and a few little tips and tricks to extract maximum flavor in minimum time, you’ll be glad you stopped by. How do we get the hearty texture of chili without the beans? Well… I use 2 different types of meat.
Ground Beef – This is your typical chili meat. I like to use a 75/25 grade of beef, because you want something that has a decent amount of fat.
Cubed Pork – Not only will this give it a huge bump in flavor, but this is what’s going to replace that texture that you’re used to from the beans.
This is a style of Chili that is popular in Texas, where using beans is mostly frowned upon.

KITCHEN TIP:
For a flavor boost and to make it even more of a Texas Chili, use cubed up Beef Brisket instead of the cubed pork.  However you will need to cook the chili for an extra couple of hours, or until brisket is tender.
That’s the reason we initially went with the pork for speed.

A great chili that’s full of flavor usually has to be cooked over a period of several hours, but with this unusual tip that I learned from a restaurant I worked at in Australia, you’re going to have the most flavorful Chili in less than an hour.
Now you’re going to think I’m crazy when you hear the secret ingredients that I throw in this Chili to quickly boost that flavor, but you gotta trust me on this one.
Here it goes….Fish Sauce and Coconut Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce IF it doesn’t offend your keto)
But they’re Asian ingredients right, not something that you put in a Chili?

I first came across this tip used in both a stew and also in a spaghetti meat sauce. At first I thought they were crazy, surely you’re going to taste it in there… Nope you don’t at all.
Fish Sauce and Liquid Aminos are high in what they call Umami.
Umami is what gives things a rich, savory, meaty flavor. Foods that are naturally high in Umami flavor are Parmesan Cheese, browned meats, ketchup, and for all the Aussies out there…Vegemite(which also works well in stews or chili’s in small doses may I ad).
These 2 additions are going to quickly boost the rich, meaty flavor in your chili, that usually can only be replicated by hours and hours of slow cooking. So not only are you getting an awesome tasting Chili, but you’re getting it in record time. And if you’re anything like me, you want it NOW! There’s nothing like watching the game with a warm bowl of Chili.

YOU CAN NOW FOLLOW ALONG THE STEPS TO MAKING THIS RECIPE WITH US, IN THE VIDEO BELOW!!

Also pair it with some fantastic Southern Cornbread…Our great friend Neisha, from Neisha Loves It, has a great Keto Southern Cornbread Recipe here.
See bottom of the page for a great LEFTOVERS idea!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef (I use 75/25)
1 pound pork cut into small cubes
1/2 cup onion finely diced
1/2 cup green pepper(capsicum) finely diced
3 tspn minced garlic – fresh or paste is fine
3 TBSP tomato paste
3 TBSP bacon grease/lard/manteca/olive oil (these are my preferences in order of flavor)

LIQUID SEASONINGS
3 cups beef bone broth
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP fish sauce
1/2 TBSP  coconut liquid aminos (or soy sauce IF it doesn’t offend your keto)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

SPICE BLEND
1.5 tsp of our Keto Sazon Seasoning Recipe or 1 sachet of GOYA Sazon (culantro y achiote)
2 1/2 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp smoked paprika – normal is fine also
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp of our Keto Adobo Seasoning Recipe or GOYA Adobo Seasoning

In a large jug, mix all the liquid ingredients and stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix all dry spices together and set both aside.

1. In a large pan or dutch oven, heat your choice of oil on medium heat until very hot.
2. Add both meats and sear until meat is browned.
3. Turn heat down to medium, add onions and green peppers and saute until softened, about 10 minutes, then add minced garlic and stir for a further 1 minute.
4. Make a well in the center of pan and add tomato paste and saute it for about 1 minute until it darkens in color, then stir into the meat mixture until combined.
5. Sprinkle the spice blend over the top of the meat and combine until incorporated, about another minute. Don’t worry about the stuff sticking on the bottom, that’s called the fond, that is pure flavor.
6. Add liquid seasoning into the pot and stir, be sure to scrape up all that fond on the bottom at the same time, until it comes to a rapid boil, then reduce heat and bring it down to a low simmer for about 45 minutes.
   Garnish and Serve! I like grated cheese, sour cream and an avocado for freshness

LEFTOVERS? KETO BUNLESS CHILI DOGS

SERVES: 5
NET CARBS: 5g per serving

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