Chili- brown meat first or nah?

sleepy33 · October 2018

When you make crock pot chili, do you brown the meat first or throw it all in there and turn it on?

sleepy33 · October 2018

Answer my poll for science, I am considering not browning first and I need OPINIONS

DuchessOfCambridge · October 2018

I like to brown first but I also cook with lots of spices - garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder. Then add EXTRA of all those to the chili itself.

kvh22 · October 2018

Yup, I brown the meat, tomato paste, spices, and then I add onions (sometimes peppers as well) and soften those a bit, too, before throwing in the tomatoes, beans, etc.

brie_and_almonds · October 2018

When I add meat (because I prefer beany chili), I always brown it, because the grey look meat cooked totally in the crock pot gets skeeves me out.

sleepy33 · October 2018

brie_and_almonds said:

When I add meat (because I prefer beany chili), I always brown it, because the grey look meat cooked totally in the crock pot gets skeeves me out.

Welp that settles it

brie_and_almonds · October 2018

@sleepy33 well, I mean, with chili you probably wouldn't really be able to tell, but I would know

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f · October 2018

@sleepy33 Brown it, girl! Also, I very much enjoyed the poll options.

eatinwatermelonseeds · October 2018

"because I'm either vegetarian or wrong" 😂😂

bluesky24 · October 2018

@sleepy33 @brie_and_almonds I may never eat meat again after that description....

Gotta brown it, girl. For flavor reasons and meat color reasons, apparently.

k2k2tog · October 2018

Brown it.

Also. Chili is delicious.

Also, who has a favourite recipe? I mostly just throw a bunch of things into a pot with tomato sauce and call it chili, but maybe there's more of a science to it than that and someone can share it with me?

wishiwaspreggo · October 2018

The real question is: noodles - yes or no?

I'm from Indiana and we do chili-mac here. I made some chili for my friend from Colorado and she asked me why I put noodles in the chili. Um, because it's delicious! Add cheese and sour cream and you have some good eatin'.

sleepy33 · October 2018

wishiwaspreggo said:

The real question is: noodles - yes or no?

I'm from Indiana and we do chili-mac here. I made some chili for my friend from Colorado and she asked me why I put noodles in the chili. Um, because it's delicious! Add cheese and sour cream and you have some good eatin'.

As someone who spent a couple of years living in Cincinnati, noodles are only appropriate if it's spaghetti and you're having Skyline 5-way.

sleepy33 · October 2018

eatinwatermelonseeds said:

"because I'm either vegetarian or wrong" 😂😂

Clearly, those are the only options

sleepy33 · October 2018

k2k2tog said:

Brown it.
Also. Chili is delicious.
Also, who has a favourite recipe? I mostly just throw a bunch of things into a pot with tomato sauce and call it chili, but maybe there's more of a science to it than that and someone can share it with me?

I am team dump a bunch of cans into a pot. I'm gonna add some smoked paprika this time on account of I bought a jar for this Chicken Lazone recipe and it was expensive af, so I'mma use that up. I also include beef, red kidney beans, hot chili beans, black beans, canned corn, tomato sauce, and a shit-ton of Williams chili seasoning.

k2k2tog · October 2018

@sleepy33 yeah, that's not that far off from what I do. I also tend to add random veggies in attempt to give it some variety.

mcewen3 · October 2018

@sleepy33 I have to brown the meat first because I can't stand to add anything else until I've drained the fat. We get our meat straight from the farm and there usually isn't much to drain, but I still have to do it otherwise the whole thing is ruined for me.

sleepy33 · October 2018

I rly wish I had a bowl of chili now. Thanks, me.

wishiwaspreggo · October 2018

@sleepy33 - I've had Skyline and I'm actually not a fan! It's a bit too sweet for me, and they put a weird spice in it like nutmeg or something.

Do you do cornbread as a side or something else? A friend of mine says he eats his with a peanut butter sandwich.

mcewen3 · October 2018

@k2k2tog I brown the meat and onions, add garlic, mushrooms and bell peppers. Then I add chilli powder, cumin, paprika and sometimes a bottle of Mexican beer. Drained cans of either red kidney beans, black beans or both and a jar or two of canned tomatoes (my MIL always cans tomatoes every fall and I can't stand to buy them from the store anymore). Then simmer all afternoon (or crockpot all day)

fatmonica · October 2018

@wishiwaspreggo I grew up in Nebraska. The only way to properly eat Chili is with a cinnamon roll. It's delicious.

wishiwaspreggo · October 2018

@fatmonica that sounds yummy but I do cornbread with butter and honey! That's my favorite

k2k2tog · October 2018

@mcewen3 oooh! Beer! I might have to try that.

psychobutthead · October 2018

brie_and_almonds said:

When I add meat (because I prefer beany chili), I always brown it, because the grey look meat cooked totally in the crock pot gets skeeves me out.

This exactly! Idea of gray meat is making me dry heave right now.

Brown the meat!

sleepy33 · October 2018

wishiwaspreggo said:

@sleepy33 - I've had Skyline and I'm actually not a fan! It's a bit too sweet for me, and they put a weird spice in it like nutmeg or something.

Do you do cornbread as a side or something else? A friend of mine says he eats his with a peanut butter sandwich.

It definitely has a sweetness to it!
I generally serve chili with fritos, shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream. The other day, out of nowhere, my kiddo was like hey I really like cornbread (which he apparently had at school and I've never made before) so I guess I'm gonna make some of that this week in order to entice him to eat some chili. He actually likes chili if he eats it, but every time he pretends not to like one or the other ingredient; sometimes the corn, sometimes the beans. It's quite maddening.

missy052819 · October 2018

kvh22 said:

Yup, I brown the meat, tomato paste, spices, and then I add onions (sometimes peppers as well) and soften those a bit, too, before throwing in the tomatoes, beans, etc.

Same!

missy052819 · October 2018

Also I love black beans in my chili

DressageDarling · October 2018

Well, after this thread I guess I better pick up stuff for chili Mac. I do still cook it on the stove like the old-timey person I am lol

aels12 · October 2018

Chili is on our menu this week too! I’m glad it’s finally cold enough for it

we usually serve it with beer bread, but I think I need to see what all this cinnamon roll talk is about. That sounds so good!

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f · October 2018

@mcewen3 That's my exact recipe! Minus the beer - I've never heard of that, but sounds delicious. I also top with lots of sour cream and shredded cheddar.

laeberge3 · October 2018

@wishiwaspreggo We always do chili with noodles! The peanut butter sandwich with it I’ve heard of and we used to have that served at school for lunch but I’ve never actually paired them when making. Cornbread, otoh, sounds amazing.

zuuls_mom · October 2018

We always cook ours on the stove low and slow and brown the beef, drain, then add onion, taco seasoning, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beef broth and kidney beans.

chucksmom15 · October 2018

If you don’t brown your meat we can’t be friends lol. So glad I have a freezer stash of chili after this post bc now I want some. We do chili dogs and frito pies most of the time. Definitely not noodles although I’m shocked my husband hasn’t tried it. He loves noodles. He tried red beans and noodles once (We live in Louisiana. Pretty much a no). It was disgusting and I threatened to leave him if he ever ate it again lol.

sleepy33 · October 2018

::browning her meat so @chucksmom15 will be friends::

expandcontract · October 2018

Omg I want chili so bad, now! Of course since I'm Indian I like to make mine nice and spicy. It's good for the sinuses on a cold day.

sleepy33 · October 2018

@expandcontract do you put any different kind of spices in it, or just standard chili powder but like a lot? Teach me your ways, for I have chronic sinusitis and can't take the good kind of medicine while pregnant.

chucksmom15 · October 2018

Friends don’t let friends get salmonella @sleepy33 lol

expandcontract · October 2018

@sleepy33 Well, when I brown the meat, I (Indians) use paprika, pinch of turmeric, ginger and garlic paste, and garam masala. Garam masala itself is a mix of different spices. You can find these at an Indian store if there's one nearby you.

sleepy33 · October 2018

@expandcontract

Image: https://media1.tenor.com/images/656bfac179db0fee1983726a428d1626/tenor.gif?itemid=9319693

DuchessOfCambridge · October 2018

@wishiwaspreggo a peanut butter sandwich?!?!!??! With chili??????? 🤯

I do not put noodles in chili but I would 100%
make mac and cheese and put chili on top of that.

I don’t like nutmeg or cinnamon in my chili, I keep it savory only.

kvh22 · October 2018

@DuchessOfCambridge I put cinnamon in my chili sometimes. It doesn't add a sweetness, but I think gives a good warmth/depth of flavor. I don't think anyone would know there was cinnamon in there. But I also have no issue leaving it out.

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