This here chili, oh it’s the best you ever did have. I been making it for, I don’t know, a hundred years, seems like. Got this recipe from, well, it don’t matter now. But it’s good. Real good. This one here’s got them sirloin tips in it. Makes it fancy, but still tastes like good ol’ chili. You just gotta know how to cook it up right.
First thing, you gotta have good meat. That’s what makes chili, chili. This here recipe, we use them sirloin tips. Now, you can use other meat, too. Ground chuck, that’s good. Brisket, oh that’s a good one. Some folks like them short ribs, fall right off the bone. But for this one, we talkin’ sirloin tips. You get a good cut, not too much fat, but enough to give it flavor. You want that meat to be tender, you know? Not all chewy and tough like an old shoe.
So, you get your meat, and you gotta brown it up good. I use a big ol’ pot, cast iron, if you got one. Heat it up, put a little oil in there, just a smidge. Then you throw in them sirloin tips. Let ’em sizzle and get all brown on all sides. That’s where the flavor is, see? You gotta get that good color.
Now, while that meat’s a-brownin’, you get your onions and your peppers. I like to use a whole mess of onions. Chop ’em up, not too fine, not too big. Just, you know, onion-sized. And peppers, I like the green ones, and the red ones, too. Makes it pretty. Chop them up, too. Once that meat is browned up good, take it out of the pot. Set it aside for a bit.
- Then you throw them onions in that same pot. Let ’em cook down till they’re soft, you know? Translucent, they call it. Means you can kinda see through ’em.
- Then you throw in them peppers. Let ’em cook with the onions for a bit. Just till they get a little soft, too.
- Add a little garlic, I guess.
Now, some folks, they like to put garlic in there. I ain’t never been much for garlic, but you can if you want. Just a little bit, though. Don’t want it to overpower everything else. After that is the chili powder, that’s important. Gotta have that chili powder.
Next is the tomatoes. Now, you can use them fresh tomatoes, if you got ’em. But I usually just use the canned kind. The diced ones, that’s what I like. Pour a couple of cans of them in there. And the juice, too. Don’t drain ’em. You need that juice.
Now, here’s a little secret I learned a long time ago. This old lady, she told me to put a little bit of that balsamic vinegar in there. Just a splash. Sounds crazy, right? Vinegar in chili? But let me tell you, it does something to it. Makes all the flavors just pop. I don’t know why, but it just does. You gotta try it. And another thing, the chili is warm, you know, makes you feel good inside. Make your belly full.
You bring that all to a boil. Then you turn it down low, put a lid on it, and let it simmer. That’s the important part. You gotta let it simmer for a long time. The longer the better. At least a couple of hours. That’s what makes it good. Lets all them flavors get to know each other, you know? And that meat, them sirloin tips, they get all tender and juicy.
- Chili powder, that is what makes chili.
- Tomatoes, them canned ones is fine.
- Sirloin tips, get a good cut.
- Simmer, simmer, simmer. That’s the key.
- Balsamic vinegar, just a little bit, not much.
Now when it is getting close, that is when I put beans in there. If you want beans, this is when to add them. Some folks don’t like beans in their chili. That’s fine, too. Just leave ’em out. But I like beans. I usually use the kidney beans, the red ones. Drain ’em, rinse ’em, then throw ’em in the pot. Let it simmer for, oh, about another half hour or so, just to heat them beans up.
And that’s it. That’s my chili recipe with sirloin tips. It’s not fancy, but it’s good. It’s the kind of chili that sticks to your ribs, you know? Keeps you warm on a cold night. And it’s even better the next day. Somehow, it just gets better when it sits for a while.
So there you have it. My secret recipe. Don’t go tellin’ everyone now. Just make it for your family, and they’ll love you for it. It’s a good, hearty meal. That’s all that matters. Good food for good folks. You’ll see the chili is very hearty. And it’s easy, too. Even if you ain’t never cooked a thing in your life, you can make this chili. Just follow what I said, and you’ll be fine. This chili is just so comforting. Especially in cold weather.
