Simple, Perfect Chili

These last few weeks have been just crazy at our house ... which would help explain my lack of posts! My son turned 4, and we had a house filled with family to celebrate that. (Has it really been four years? That means this blog is almost four years old! Wow!) And my oldest daughter turned 7 this past weekend, and she celebrated with eight of her closest friends. (That was the longest four hours of my life!)

So when Sunday rolled around, I took it easy and caught up on the DVR. One of the shows I watched was "The Pioneer Woman" on the Food Network. I just love Rhee and her recipes, which I've been following for years over on her blog. But her show is just wonderful. Her family is adorable, and I love how she shares their lives with us. And her food? It's even better!

I've shared a few of her recipes over the years ... Crash Hot Potatoes, Restaurant-Style Salsa and Spicy Shredded Pork. All three are absolutely delicious. I'm never disappointed by her food, and this recipe, which was featured on her show over the weekend, didn't disappoint either!

It truly is simple and perfect. Just the way chili should be!

Simple, Perfect Chili
Source: "The Pioneer Woman"

2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup masa harina (corn flour, found in the Mexican food section of many supermarkets)
One 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped onions, for serving
Tortilla chips, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add ½ cup water at a time as needed.

After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add ½ cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and /or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Tip: I didn't have masa harina on hand and didn't want to run to the store just for that, so I substituted corn meal that had been given a whirl in the blender before mixing it with the water. It worked great!

Quick Start with MSPI Mama: This is one of my Quick Start recipes.