Chili Recipe Redux with Chipotle Sauce

So, as recently as last Friday, I wrote a little bit about Chili. The weather is getting colder, yada yada yada, I made chili last weekend. There probably is not a soup, gumbo or chowder that I like more than Chili.  In my college days we made a lot of chili, but often times it would be super smoking hot, sometimes to the point where you needed something to cut the heat.  Habaneros, Jalapenos, you name it, they went into the chili.  My recipe, which really means the recipe I have adapted to be my own, has changed over the years and is more a deeper more smokey chili.  You have heat, but you have more than that.

Im going to share my recipe, plus the addition of my own homemade chipotle sauce, which I think adds great flavor and can be saved to use on other things (since it makes a lot).  All you need are a bag of dried Chipotle chilies and a few ingredients that are usually just sitting around the house.


Chipotle Sauce

Makes about 1.5-2 cups

Ingredients:

3 medium size dried chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup beer (something dark like a stout or porter is preferable)
1 large shallot, diced
1 teaspoon salt


The night before you plan to make your sauce, soak the chilies in the beer in a small ramekin.

When ready to make sauce, remove stems and seeds from the chipotle peppers and discard.  In a small sauce pan, add peppers and the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook, stirring once or twice, until liquid has reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.  Using an immersion blender (or food processor), puree mixture until it is smooth.  You should have a nice smokey chipotle sauce, ready to use for Chili or whatever else, enchiladas, salad, whatever you want.



Chili Recipe

Serves 8-10