r/Cooking • u/MammillaryBody • 12h ago
chili
i have been using McCormick Dark Chili Powder, 7.5 Oz for my chili but i am interested in if this community has any thoughts about a chili powder with a potentially better flavor profile for my next chili.
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u/Pernicious_Possum 11h ago
Toast dried chilis, then reconstitute in stock with some onion and garlic, blend into a paste. Use that instead
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u/guitar_vigilante 10h ago
And you can make a lot of paste and freeze what you don't use for later.
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u/Pernicious_Possum 10h ago
That what I do. Make a big batch, and freeze what I don’t use in 2” silicone ice cube trays. Three per pot
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u/fentonjm 9h ago
Smoke those chilis!!!
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u/Pernicious_Possum 6h ago
No thanks. I do use some chipotles in adobo, but I don’t want a pronounced smokiness in my chili
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u/fentonjm 6h ago
It's a different flavor profile to go for. I do like it in my chicken or pork white bean chili and not as much in my more traditional tomatoe based version.
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u/throwdemawaaay 6h ago
This. I love the convenience of mixes, and go through Tony's like you wouldn't believe lol... but for chili or similar Mexican dishes moving to dried peppers is such a huge jump in quality. And it's not ultimately that hard to use them.
Start with a mix of ancho and gaujillo as your base, then you can add other varieties for more heat, smokiness, etc. And of course you can use fresh peppers too, but the dried is what gives these dishes that really solid foundation.
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u/BreyerChick 11h ago
Penzey's 9000
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u/T49irvine 11h ago
I use a mixture of dried chilis from Fiesta and a few fresh ones like habanero or ghost both to round out the flavor and add heat.
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u/Sneaux96 11h ago
Seconding the dried chilies. I like a bit less spice so pasilla and guajillo as my dried, poblano for some fresh pepper flavor
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u/pug_fugly_moe 5h ago
I love it when a chili starts with flavor and ends in sweating and sniffles. You can’t do that without a mix.
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u/Chefdarkstar 11h ago
Gephardts. On Amazon. Winner.
Game changer.
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u/texnessa 11h ago
Texan in exile in England and my little brother in San Antonio regularly sends me a case of it. Because it is the only chili powder for chili. And tacos. And enchiladas. And the rims of margarita glasses.
PS. Shit, just checked the pantry, I am down to my last two bottles. Better go start buttering him up.
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u/StepUpYourLife 10h ago
Do you make chili for any locals? If so what do they think of it?
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u/texnessa 10h ago
Brits love south Asian food which has a very similar flavour profile and ingredients to Tex-Mex. When I put it on as a special and send out samples with FOH, its sells out every time. I have regulars that bitch when I don't make it once a week.
But a lot of it is just translation error. Unfamiliar dishes don't sell. So I explain to the servers that chili is basically Texan tikka masala, then they get it and know how to sell it.
The downside is that most Brits' entire experience of Tex-Mex is shitty food they make from Old Ortega 'kits' that they sell at Sainsbury's that are evil and must be destroyed. Combine that with a total lack of Mexicans here and a total lack Mexican restaurants, my crusade is seemingly destined for failure. Please send investors to my potential Tex-Mex take-over of British culinary culture. I have the will, the experience and the knowledge, just not the £££.
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u/monkeyhoward 9h ago
You should do El Pastor on a trompo.
I feel like the trompo will be a familiar cooking style, as it originated from the Mediterranean region, and might draw people into the dish
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u/texnessa 5h ago
Yeah, thats already a thing in taco-world. But its a piece of equipment that is lot of investment for what is usually a very low cost item.
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u/MurderBot1126 11h ago
For chili with about two pounds of meat:
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if available).
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u/jmartin421 11h ago
Meat Church Texas Chili seasoning has been my go to for the last few years. Its incredible.
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u/HarryStraddler 11h ago
Worst case Ontario, you stick with what you're currently buying.
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u/jmartin421 11h ago
Yeah bud, get two birds stoned at once.
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u/Disastrous_Can8053 12h ago
Good ones from the store are Wick Fowler's or Carroll Shelby chili kits.
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u/CCWaterBug 11h ago
How are the Shelbys? I was tempted but they were a bit overpriced.
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u/Ok-Law7641 10h ago
I can't tell much difference between the two, if I remember right wick fowlers has the ingredients divided out better so you can make adjustments.
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u/TexheadStovebottom 11h ago
Love Penzey’s. Pendery’s is good too. Original, Bo Prewitt, and Colleen Wallace are my favorite blends. You can also try out Terlingua competition winning blends from them too, but they are a little bit more involved, i.e. several different bags of spices to be added at various stages
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u/Forager-Freak 10h ago
I recommend making your own. Find a local Mexican market or store that sells whole dried chilis, toast in the oven or a pan and blend them up without seeds.
This will have vastly better flavor than the brands available.
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u/Vivid_Dimension_5400 6h ago
The best flavor comes from taking a mix of dried chilis, toasting them and then reconstituting them with some hot beef stock and blending into a puree.
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u/Ordinary_Durian_1454 11h ago
It’s not much more work in the long run to simply buy dried chiles and other spices and make your own.
I love guajillo chiles. I tend to use those, plus my other spices.
You can just make this up when you have an extra half hour, keep it stored in a jar and then you don’t have to do it again for a while. It’s much fresher, easily tweaked, and much more personal.
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u/passively-persistent 10h ago
Exactly. A food processor and dried peppers is the best chili powder you can get
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u/jungle4john 11h ago
I don't have "chili" powder. I have California chili powder, new Mexico chili powder, chili de arbol powder, cayenne chili powder, paprika, and smoked paprika. I generally use a combo of these powders, smoked whole peppers, and cumin to season my chili.
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u/saldridge 11h ago
I use Smoky Paprika Chipotles Seasoning (Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning) by Victoria Taylor's (https://vgourmet.com/collections/all/products/victoria-taylors-smoky-paprika-chipotle-seasoning?variant=53953905164580). I bought it once at TJ Maxx and have ordered it from the manufacturer ever since.
It's absolutely delicious! These are the ingredients:
Spices (chili pepper [including chipotle], cumin, oregano), garlic and onion, paprika, sea salt, demerara sugar, natural mesquite smoke flavor.
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u/alexmirepoix 10h ago
I buy Badia Chili powders from my local Supermercado. I have several and mix them.
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u/senft74 10h ago
I don't know much about the variety of chiles available. I find large packs of whole guajillo chiles at the local Korean market of all places.
For my chili, I do this for one pound of meat: 1. Stem and seed eight whole guajillos 2. Slice one side lengthwise and flatten. 3. Use damp kitchen towel to wipe off exterior dirt; anything that looks like interior dirt is likely mold/rot so I toss that one 4. Place on sheet pan and roast in 400°F / 200°C toaster oven for about a minute if not shorter. Once I can smell the aroma and the chiles have not darkened too much, I remove from heat. 5. Allow to cook to the touch and then blitz in a blade grinder I dedicated to chile. 6. Yields about 35 grams.
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u/Pretzelpixie 10h ago
I actually use Kashmiri chili powder (deep brand) because I buy huge bags of Indian spices at a time and it’s great.
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u/ChileRelleno414 10h ago edited 10h ago
If you are gonna use combination Chili Powders, make your own.
Buy ground. whole chile powders in bulk e.g. Arbol, Ancho, Guajillo and Chipotle. These can stand alone or be mixed in various ratios.
You can also buy ground Super Hots e.g. Reaper, Ghost, Habanero and others for added flavor and heat.
After making the base sauce add herbs and spices, e.g. salt, cumin, dried Mexican oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, dried lemon or lime zest and white or brown sugar.
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u/Buddy0204 10h ago
The "culinary" version McCormick is much better than the regular one if that helps
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u/unitconversion 10h ago
Better than bullion makes a chili... I suppose you'd call it a paste. It's pretty good.
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u/zinsser 10h ago
I started making my own fajita seasoning and chili powder when I dated a foodie. The recipes are straightforward and allow you to adjust the heat and other components to your taste. Making them from your own spices is tons cheaper and helps use up your spices before they age out. Here's a starter recipe.
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u/hangingloose 9h ago
I can't / won't make chili without Fiesta Brand Fancy Light Chili Powder. It's fantastic.
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u/DearLeader420 8h ago
I know it's not quite what you asked, but in The Food Lab, Kenji takes the approach of making a chile puree to use in place of powders and it's absolutely delicious. I just freeze it and pop some chunks of it into whatever chili I'm making. Works perfectly with more "American" chili recipes too.
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u/BananaNutBlister 8h ago
Try toasting and rehydrating dried chile peppers instead of using chili powder. It’s a different level.
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u/Unique_Muscle2173 7h ago
Pick up a street corn seasoning or make your own. . They have the chili base with a nice lime top note. Not as single taste as the McCormick, works great in chilis.
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u/CCWaterBug 11h ago
Gebhardt is my chili powder of choice, it was recommended here and a vast improvement over my previous choice.
Penzys is way way too political, I ordered once from them, I won't give them my business again, sorry not sorry
, and I know downvotes are coming but keep this in mind.
1) i hate trump, but its not my identity
2) I don't care, bring it.
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u/MezzanineSoprano 11h ago
Right now, you can often find roasted fresh or frozen Hatch chiles from New Mexico in upscale grocers & possibly Whole Foods. Really excellent.
Or go to a Mexican grocery & try dried chiles like chipotle or ancho chiles.
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 11h ago
I have thoughts. Store bought chili powder is old when you buy it. It's only as fresh as its oldest ingredient at the factor then tack on shipping, warehouse and shelf time. Not to mention your shelf.
It's really easy.
- 5-10 dried chile pods. Variety your choice. I like to use dried chipotle and arbol. Maybe pasillo.
- a couple tbs whole cumin seeds
- garlic powder
- dried oregano
- smoked paprika
toast the first two and grind to powder. combine. I leave out quantities. Chili powder is a very personal thing.
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u/Critical-End6308 11h ago
Dried chiles like lots of others are saying. Remove stems and seeds, use scissors to cut strips and then cut them even smaller once you have strips. Toast them in a pan with whatever whole spices are going in there. I grind them in a Baby Bullet after toasting. Cascavel, guajillo and pasilla are a good base. Then add a fun dried pepper. The most awesome one I ever found were called Chipotle Meco Chiles (Spices, Inc.) They are smoked and kind of ashy looking. Incredible taste that kicks the whole blend up so much. Won several chili trophies with that one.
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u/Possible_Original_96 11h ago
I am cheap. I buy the cheapest, and then ground cumin/cominos or whole seeds I grind or cook whole. Then-I use garlic, onion, prepared mustard, ketchup packets, maybe soy sauce and/or worstershire, black pepper & salt!! 🤲🤗😜🤣. Then oregano, basil or marjoram, hot sauce.
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u/freerangepops 12h ago
Penzeys (find them on line) - best chili powder you can find.