Wednesday, 3 July 2024

The Chilli

When I think of chilli I think of minced beef - I hate minced beef! What makes this chilli special, nay posh, is it uses diced steak and slow cooks it. The only remaining task is to add the red kidney beans and any garnishes. A word of warning – just in case you've forgotten – do not slow cook the kidney beans.


Posh Chilli

Serves 4


500g diced steak


A glug of rapeseed oil


1 medium onion, finely chopped


2 cloves of roasted garlic paste or 2 cloves crushed


tsp = teaspoon


half tsp ground cumin


half tsp ground coriander


half tsp ground cinnamon


quarter to half tsp chilli powder (to taste, depends how much of a kick you like – I used a quarter tsp)


500g jar of passata


60ml sweet chilli sauce


390g can of red kidney beans, rinsed


optional extras :


150g small dice or sliced chorizo


sweet baby peppers, de-seeded and

finely sliced


Method …


Seal the diced steak in batches in a large frying pan using a drop of rapeseed oil then set aside in your slow cooker.

Gently fry your onion and garlic, using another drop of rapeseed oil if necessary. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!

Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Add to the sealed diced steak and then slow cook for 4 hours. Turn off and then leave to cool. Freeze in boxes to suit your needs – remember – you can pull out two boxes if you need to, rather than have to throw away from a larger quantity.

Defrost thoroughly in your fridge. Re-heat gently on the stove adding your kidney beans, sweet baby peppers or chorizo.


For the optional extras :


Use a large frying pan and fry the chorizo gently so that it releases its oil. Set the chorizo aside, leaving the oil in the pan.

Sauté the sliced, sweet baby peppers in the chorizo oil.

If you enjoy a spicy hit you can use mixed beans in a chilli sauce instead of ordinary red kidney beans.

Serve with rice if you like but I think it's fab in a bowl with a blob of sour cream served with some rustic bread of your choice on the side or with wraps with bowls of relish of your choice – mango would work well.


Freezing serves dishes like chilli or curry very well – the freezing process allows the spices to develop. Here's a thought – you could double the recipe and serve as a supper or as part of a larger supper buffet. Hot food seems to go down so well and it's easier to cook and serve.

Next … the photo-guide


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