chile for the insane

someone on another (non-food) forum I frequent posted the following chile recipe. I can't imagine even attempting to ingest it. Over 1/2 cup of hot sauce, 2tbsp chile powder and two habaneros. All that's missing is the merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango, grown by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum.

Not to mention the overkill of 3 kinds of beans, 4 cloves garlic, 2tbsp cumin and the mush that would result from cooking ground beef "2-6 hours".

I'm tempted to try it just to see if it eats through the enamel of my Le Crueset.



1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 to 2 fresh habanero peppers, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 bottle beer
1 (32- ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, slightly drained
1 (14-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Tabasco brand original hot sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco brand jalapeno hot sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco brand garlic hot sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco brand chipotle hot sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco brand habanero hot sauce
3 oz (1/2 small can) tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt

Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables, deglaze pan with beer. Transfer mixture to crockpot, add all other ingredients and stir to combine.
Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 6 hours depending on desired texture. Serve with toppings or straight up.

I've never really tried their Habanero, but the other Tabasco flavors will only add more vinegar flavor, and virtually no heat. The jalapeno one is virtually heatless. Right on the bottle, it says "mild." Chili powder will usually not add any heat, either. IMO, you are better off NOT using Chili Powder, and sticking with plain, single spices. Chili Powder* is usually dirty, and muddy tasting. Chili made without commercial chili powder is usually much more bright tasting. The red/green peppers are pretty much worthless unless you REALLY like them. I usually go with (at minimum) 2lbs of meat to one reg can of beans. Other than that, you got a pretty standard recipe. It'll be spicy, yeah, but insane? No, not really. Especially if those habaneros are seeded. You want insane? I got a batch in the freezer from two years ago that I can't even bring myself to "try" again. You gotta LAYER that heat. The recipe your friend gave you is hot on top, but nothing on the bottom, and nothing in between. It will be kinda one note as far as heat.

I usually make a base heat of ancho - keeps the mouth warm while eating.
Popping heat that fades quickly, will come from fresh serrano, and jalapeno. (not seeded)
The stuff that will sear you a little more, and will make your nose sweat are the serranos and habaneros - (see "Xni-pec") along with a little ground chile pequin. I bet if you make the recipe you have, you'll be surprised at how NOT hot it is.
* In your post, you mention the phrase "chile powder" and in the recipe, you written "Chili Powder" these are two VERY different things. Chile powder would usually indicate dried ground chile pepper of one specific pepper. Chili powder would usualy indicate a mixture of spices, most notably cumin and salt. I'm guessing you meant "Chili Powder" in youtr description, because in the recipe, if it were Chile Powder, there would almost always be an indicator of WHAT KIND of chile's powder should be used, OR a side note saying "chile of your choice" or some such notation.

>In your post, you mention the phrase "chile powder" and in the recipe, you written "Chili Powder" these are two VERY different things.

I did not write the recipe, just copied it. I guess I forgot the (sic).

tem wrote:>In your post, you mention the phrase "chile powder" and in the recipe, you written "Chili Powder" these are two VERY different things.

I did not write the recipe, just copied it. I guess I forgot the (sic).

I believe he's saying that the recipe is right (chili powder is a mix of powdered chiles and spices, notably cumin), while the "chile powder" in your post usually means powdered chiles.

Would love the try the recipe. It doesn't look too lethal to me, but it may be a bit overpowering with all the acidity in there, although I guess 8 tablespoons of vinegary hot sauces probably won't make it too vinegary.

This recipe, while it may be good, seems like it was written by the Tabasco marketing dept.

eatchicago wrote:This recipe, while it may be good, seems like it was written by the Tabasco marketing dept.

More like someone confused by the Tabasco marketing dept. I used to use Franks hot sauce in my chili, but it ended up WAY too salty. So now I use a very small amount of Dave's Insanity for the heat, and only enough commercial hot sauce to provide a small amount of salt to the whole mess.

As was mentioned, the bell peppers are pretty useless in a real pot of chili. I just go for a handful of whatever hot peppers I can find in the local produce section (Jalapeno, Cayenne, Serrano, Pequin, Habenero, etc)

I marinate the meat overnight in the beer, then add the liquid back after browning the meat.

Two things I would never add to my chili: tomato and beans.

I've only found a few people that can tolerate food as hot as I can, and have yet to find someone that can tolerate anything that's too hot for me. I've accidentally made stuff that was too hot for me, but it was too hot for any one else too

tem wrote:>In your post, you mention the phrase "chile powder" and in the recipe, you written "Chili Powder" these are two VERY different things.

I did not write the recipe, just copied it. I guess I forgot the (sic).

Link to the original source and credit?

im really trying to figure out the point of mixing in all those different hot sauces instead of one..not sure what that adds to this

on the hot sauce subject..Im using a lot of Pitbull lately..good heat but not overpowering & actually has some flavor to it as well...not the usual vinegar with heat flavor
http://www.pitbullhotsauce.com

Head's Red BBQ wrote:im really trying to figure out the point of mixing in all those different hot sauces instead of one..not sure what that adds to this

Layers of flavor and complexity, I typically use multiple pepper types in BBQ rubs, sauce and most cookery.

Far as the basic recipe goes, I agree with Michael it reads as if the Tabasco PR dept had a hand in development.

that was my point..all tabasco ..im skeptical that anyone would be able to taste the different layers of each of those hot sauces..using different peppers is a totally different scenario IMO in that they are not quite as similar in flavor as thsoe tabasco products