Tag Archives: chili

We love chili around our house, any variety. Beef or turkey, with or without beans, with or without pasta, with or without corn, Cincinnati-style or Tex-Mex chili, mild or mouth-blistering, we’ll eat it. I like to make chili with a cooked-all-day flavor that takes only an hour. It can be done! All you need is a pressure cooker. 

I’m currently at work on my new cookbook, HASTY TASTY MEALS UNDER PRESSURE, experimenting with all our favorites using a pressure cooker. Mine is twenty years old, and has all the safety features missing from earlier models. But newer cookers are available now, including the electric models that have push-button selections and timers. I haven’t tried one yet, but my friend swears by hers.

Here is my latest version of chili using the pressure cooker method. You certainly can use canned chili beans and cut the cooking time, but cooking from dried gives me more control over my ingredients. However, I use canned corn if fresh is out of season (after rinsing and draining).

Don’t want to use a pressure cooker? No problem. Adapt the recipe for your slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 hours, or until beans are tender. 

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RECIPE

Hasty Tasty Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound ground lean meat or turkey
• 1 pound dried pinto beans (I make an assortment of pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, and red or pink beans)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chili seasoning (I use Bloemer‘s brand)
• 1 10 oz. can Rotel® diced tomatoes and green chilies (Pick your heat level)
• 1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn or 2 cups fresh corn kernels (Optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 32 oz. filtered water (or replace some of the water with a bottle or can of beer)
• Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Spray inside of a six-quart/liter pressure cooker pot with cooking spray. Preheat over medium.
2. Add meat, stirring occasionally to brown. When meat starts browning, add the onions and garlic.
3. Stir in chili seasoning.
4. After rinsing and inspecting dried beans for any debris, spread the beans over the browned meat mixture.
5. Cover the beans with the contents of the can of corn (optional). Add the filtered water and bay leaf (be sure beans are completely covered with liquid).
6. Close pressure cooker, increase heat to medium/high, and watch closely for it to reach pressure. When pressure valve jiggles, lower heat to the lowest setting possible while maintaining pressure. (Most models emit a low hiss when at correct pressure. If your cooker makes a lot of noise, lower the heat)
7. Once cooker reaches pressure, time for 40 minutes.*
8. Remove from heat and allow pressure to drop on its own, approximately ten minutes.
9. Carefully open the cooker (watch that steam!) and check beans for tenderness. They should be a bit firm at this point. Add the contents of the cans of Rotel and tomato sauce. Stir, close cooker, and bring back to pressure.
10. Cook an additional 10 minutes under pressure. After pressure drops on its own for 10 minutes, release pressure and open the cooker.
11. Test for seasoning and add salt to taste. Stir and serve with your choice of toppings.

*Pressure cookers vary by model. You may need more time if your cooker is 10 psi instead of 15 psi. As you use your cooker, you’ll learn to judge its cooking time. Just remember, it’s easy to quick-release pressure, check your food, and then return to pressure for additional cooking time. Also, the new electric cookers take the guesswork out of timing.

(For my readers who live in higher elevations, keep in mind my elevation here in Florida is about 100 feet. You will need to add cooking time if you live above 2000 feet.)