Robust Turkey Chili

Robust Turkey Chili

Who doesn't love chili? It's great any time of year, and especially now with cold snowy days outside, and the Super Bowl just around the corner. There are literally hundreds of variations on chili and here at A Wicked Scoff I myself like to mix it up and create my own chili variations. In an effort to make my first ground turkey chili, I created a recipe that made the dish unique when compared to the beefy chili I make. Besides going with chili, I wanted to give the dish some unique character. The road I went down was smoky and robust. For the smoky I exclusively used chipotle peppers, which are smoked jalapenos, and I also used chipotle powder in my spice blend. For the robust, I added a cup of good dark beer. I used a Robust Porter made by the Smuttynose Brewing Company out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Robust Porter is an award winning beer and with undertones of chocolate and coffee, I thought it would go excellent with the richness and aggressive seasoning of a chili. I was right. In the end product I doubt you could detect that there was beer in the chili, but the dish came out incredibly balanced with great depth of flavor.I owe that to the beer. Overall it was smoky, well seasoned and had the right amount of heat for me. It had good zing, but I didn't have to race for the sour cream after every bite. Try it like this and adjust the spice accordingly. Here's how I put it all together.

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- 2 medium (or 1 large) yellow onion, medium dice
- 1 large green pepper, medium dice
- 1 pound of mushrooms, rough chopped
- 1 package of ground turkey (I used a 1.3 lb pack of 93% lean)
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- Chili spice mix (1 Tbsp each of chili powder and chipotle chili powder, 1 tsp each of paprika, salt and black pepper, and 2 tsp of ground cumin)
- 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 large 32oz can of crushed tomatoes (can use whole tomatoes)
- 1/2 bottle of chili sauce
- 1 cup of dark beer (such as Smuttynose Robust Porter)
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of kidney beans
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- green onion, sour cream, cheese and cilantro for topping

Directions:

In a large Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion,  green pepper and mushrooms and saute until tender; about 4-5 minutes. Push the pepper and onions to the sides and add the ground turkey to the center. Allow the turkey to brown on one side and begin combining the meat and vegetables. Once it has cooked together for a couple minute and the turkey is browned, add the garlic, chipotles and spice mix. Add the tomatoes, chili sauce and beer and mix well. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Stir the chili occasionally and cook for about 45 minutes. Add the drained and rinsed kidney and black beans, along with the chopped cilantro. Cook for an additional 15-30 minutes on low and serve.I served mine Cincinnati style, on top of spaghetti (whole grain thin spaghetti actually) with some light sour cream, reduced fat sharp cheddar, green onion, and more cilantro.Enjoy!

Chili

Now that NFL football season is upon us and Sunday tailgating and excessive munching has begun, I though it is time I release my favorite chili recipe. This hearty chili pack a bit of heat but nothing that can't be tamed by the sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and the chips. If you like it hotter, simply add more of the chipotle peppers, or I would recommend letting your guests spice it up on their own with red pepper flakes or hot sauce. this chili will satisfy as it is very meaty with loads of beans and veggies. The dark chocolate helps balance the flavors of the chilies. Give it a try.

Directions

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Heat oil over a medium-high heat in a large heavy bottom pot and add:

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef

1 ½ lbs ground buffalo

Cook until browned (but not necessarily fully cooked through). Set aside in a large bowl and mix with the following combination of seasonings:

Spice Mix

2 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce

2 Tbsp Paprika 3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder ½ tsp chili flakes

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika 1 Tbsp black pepper

Pinch of Kosher Salt 1 Tbsp cumin

Reserve seasoned meat mixture for later.

In the same heavy bottom pot heat over medium-high:

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Once oil shimmers, add and stir occasionally:

2 medium yellow onions, diced

3 green bell peppers, diced

Pinch of Kosher Salt and a few grinds of black pepper

Once onions and peppers cook for 3-4 minutes, add and stir occasionally

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 jalapeño peppers, seeds and veins removed

Cook for 3-4 minutes and add:

Beef/Buffalo mixture

1 cup beef broth

1 small can tomato paste

2 large cans of whole tomatoes

4 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced

2 Tbsp dark chocolate (77% cocoa), chopped

Additional spices to taste (chili powder, cumin, paprika, pepper, chili flakes, etc)

Cover and simmer the chili on a low heat on the stove top for at least 1 hour to combine the flavors.

10-15 minutes before serving, add:

1 can Dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed

Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and minced green onion and parsley or cilantro. Serve with multi-grain Tostitos to scoop up the chili goodness.

Enjoy!

Beer Battered Onion Rings with Spicy Dip

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is onion rings. To utilize the beer of the month, India Beer, in a recipe, I wanted to share one of my favorites for deep fried, beer battered onion rings. These onion rings serve up crisp and lite, with a savory batter covering the tender sweet onions. I serve them up with a spicy chipotle chili-lime mayo.

My inspiration for these bad boys came from one of my favorite places to get "pub grub" in St. John's, Newfoundland...Greensleeves on George Street. In my opinion, Greensleeves serves up the best onion rings around, and I love their spice tossed chicken wings too. The onion rings there have a batter that is almost orange in color, a result of adding what I believe is their chicken wing seasoning to the batter. The flavor is unique, and to me, tastes like a combination of seasoned salt with a dash of curry powder. Here's my version.


Beer Battered Onion Rings

For deep frying, you will need either a deep fryer, or a deep, heavy bottomed pot with a thermometer. If using the latter, extra caution needs to be taken as the oil can overheat and ignite. Cook over a med to medium heat, and keep a watchful eye on your temperature. Never try this after getting home with a buzz on from the bar!

The Onions

Peel and remove the ends from two large Vidalia onions (or other sweet onion).
Slice onions into rings about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick, and separate the rings (save the tiny inner pieces for a later use)
Add the rings to a large bowl add soak in water or milk

Make the batter

The Batter

In a bowl, combine with a whisk:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)
Dash of cayenne pepper
Whisk dry ingredients to incorporate well, and slowly add
about 1 cup of cold India Beer (or other lager beer)

My trick for proper thickness of the batter is to dip my fingers in, watch the batter drip off until I see my fingers through the batter. A two second count is ideal (3 seconds for battering fish).

The Onion Rings

Preheat the oil (vegetable or canola oil works great) to 375 degrees (you'll need at least 4 inches of oil)
Pour some extra flour into a third bowl and set up an assemble line, as you'll need to fry the rings in small batches.

Pick a few rings out of the milk at a time, dredge in the flour and shake off the excess, and add to the batter. Let the excess batter drip away and slowly add to the hot oil one at a time. Using chop sticks (or similar device), keep the rings separated, and use the sticks to flip once brown on one side. Try not to over crowd the pot/fryer. When onion rings are golden brown all over, remove from the oil and let drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Season immediately with kosher salt or seasoned salt, and keep in a warm oven. Continue cooking the rest of the rings. Rings should cook in 3-4 minutes.

Chipotle Chili-Lime Mayo

In a small food processor or using a hand immersion blender, combine until smooth;
1 cup of mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
juice and zest of one lime
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder

Great for dipping the onion rings in. Refrigerate unused mayo and use on your favorite sandwich, wrap or burger!

Enjoy.