Do You Make Homemade Chili Powder?

[BHopkins]

A long, long time ago, I was given a recipe for chili from a Texan native. The recipe is quite involved, including making the chili powder from scratch. Over the years I have adjusted the recipe enough, that I feel justified in now calling it my recipe. It has become a family favorite, and I've received a lot of compliments from the chili.

I start with dried chile (chili for us gringos) pods, stem and seed them, roast them in the oven, then grind the peppers up in a spice grinder. Store bought chili powder is flavorless in comparison to homemade chili powder.

I use a blend of Pasilla (or Negro), California, New Mexico, Guajillo, Cascabel, and sometimes Arbol. I am constantly tweaking the variety and ratio of each, searching for that ultimate flavor.

Does anyone else here have any experience in making their own chili powder? If yes, would you mind sharing what you do. What peppers do you use? How do you process them? I would love to hear what others do.

 

[y_p_w]

What do you use to grind? I suppose one way is with a mortar and pestle.

I don't do it any more, but I used to buy Thai-style birdseye chilis that were grown in California's Central Valley and directly sold at a local farmers market by a family of Hmong farmers. It was really good and I'd do things including pickle and dry them. Drying them wasn't easy, but I'd put them on the dash of my car and that would often dry them out in a few hours with decent sunlight. And the windows would be covered with steam. It was pretty interesting too since I tried to save a few and let them ripen by putting them in water like they were flowers. I actually had a couple of stems that grew roots inside the water and lived for over a year, but I grew tired of it. But this farmer had a variety that included red, white, and orange.

 

[Pablo]

I have dried and ground chilies from my garden before. Nice. I dry them in the sun or hanging or if too cool in the oven on warm. Lately I just flake them up, not make a powder. I am at 65 now and found out my fanus can't handle the flamus. So only mild and sweet chilies for me. My favorite is Carmen. Even if I make a powder, I don't call it that. Ground XXXXXX pepper. (xxxxxx = variety of pepper)

But here is my question: Store bought "chili powder" has salt, cumin, garlic powder, etc. On the west coast that is what is called chili powder

 

[BHopkins]

@y_p_w, I bought a coffee/spice grinder. It somewhat resembles a miniature blender. It does a pretty good job. But it can only do somewhat small batches. In the past I have used a blender and a mini food processor. They did the job, but very slow, and did not make as fine of a grind.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C9RBNXN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

@Pablo, it has been a very long time since I have had a container of store bought chili powder in my house. But I've looked at the label on a few containers in the grocery. If I recall correctly, the first ingredient in store bought chili powder is paprika, along with the spices you mentioned.

I tried growing my own peppers and drying them. So far, I haven't been too successful at growing peppers. Peppers need a lot of sunlight, pretty well from morning 'til night. My yard doesn't have a good spot for peppers to get that sunlight.

After I had been making my own chili powder for some time, I ran into a Youtube video of Alton Brown, making his own chili power. He plays the part of an old cowboy, sitting at a campfire, fixing his dinner. He has a pretty low opinion of store bought chili powder, as shown in the video. It's a pretty entertaining video, and is worth watching.

 

[y_p_w]

I have dried and ground chilies from my garden before. Nice. I dry them in the sun or hanging or if too cool in the oven on warm. Lately I just flake them up, not make a powder. I am at 65 now and found out my fanus can't handle the flamus. So only mild and sweet chilies for me. My favorite is Carmen. Even if I make a powder, I don't call it that. Ground XXXXXX pepper. (xxxxxx = variety of pepper)

But here is my question: Store bought "chili powder" has salt, cumin, garlic powder, etc. On the west coast that is what is called chili powder

Maybe not salt, but certainly dried garlic and onion. And cumin. Not sure why since those could always be added separately and don't really add to anything unless someone really wants cumin.

 

[BHopkins]

Yea, I like adding my own fresh garlic, onions, roasted and ground cumin, etc. I don't need McCormick adding a bunch of filler for me.

 

[Pablo]

@Pablo, it has been a very long time since I have had a container of store bought chili powder in my house. But I've looked at the label on a few containers in the grocery. If I recall correctly, the first ingredient in store bought chili powder is paprika, along with the spices you mentioned.

I tried growing my own peppers and drying them. So far, I haven't been too successful at growing peppers. Peppers need a lot of sunlight, pretty well from morning 'til night. My yard doesn't have a good spot for peppers to get that sunlight.

After I had been making my own chili powder for some time, I ran into a Youtube video of Alton Brown, making his own chili power. He plays the part of an old cowboy, sitting at a campfire, fixing his dinner. He has a pretty low opinion of store bought chili powder, as shown in the video. It's a pretty entertaining video, and is worth watching.

For sure not advising using the store bought stuff

You can grow peppers in pots and move them to sun

Thing that surprised me about pepper growing every year? Just how they do love to be fed in super rich soil.

 

[Pablo]

 

[Tom NJ]

I grow poblano peppers, pick them red, dry them in a dehydrator, and grind them into ancho power. When making chili I combine the ancho with cumin seeds, oregano, garlic powder, and a dash of allspice. The other ingredients in the chili are beef and home grown onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.

I also grow serrano peppers for use in my home canned hot sauce and salsa, jalapeños for stuffing, and cayenne peppers for flakes.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

A long, long time ago, I was given a recipe for chili from a Texan native. The recipe is quite involved, including making the chili powder from scratch. ... ... ...

Does anyone else here have any experience in making their own chili powder? If yes, would you mind sharing what you do. What peppers do you use? How do you process them? I would love to hear what others do.

Wife was making competion chili years ago "bowl of red" meat, tomato, chili, chili dust and secret stuff.

Used a dried pepper combination of poblano and serrano + secret that she roasted and ground in a little coffee grinder.

Did I mention cacao beans?... sssshhh!

Now I want a bowl yesterday

 

[BHopkins]

Wife was making competion chili years ago "bowl of red" meat, tomato, chili, chili dust and secret stuff.

Used a dried pepper combination of poblano and serrano + secret that she roasted and ground in a little coffee grinder.

Did I mention cacao beans?... sssshhh!

Now I want a bowl yesterday

I have used poblano peppers before, and like that flavor in my chili. I've never tried serrano. Nor any secret ingredient.

If I understand correctly, cacao is raw beans, where cocoa beans have been roasted? If these were used as a secret ingredient, how would they have been used? Would they have been roasted, before grinding?

I have heard of many Texas chili recipes including cocoa or cinnamon, but have never tried that.

 

[BHopkins]

I grow poblano peppers, pick them red, dry them in a dehydrator, and grind them into ancho power. When making chili I combine the ancho with cumin seeds, oregano, garlic powder, and a dash of allspice. The other ingredients in the chili are beef and home grown onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.

I also grow serrano peppers for use in my home canned hot sauce and salsa, jalapeños for stuffing, and cayenne peppers for flakes.

What type of beef do you use? I used to cut up a chuck roast into 1/2" cubes, but now I use tri tip. It was too much work trying to cut out all the gristle and fat out of the chuck roast.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Oh, bookmarking this thread for sure. I used to make buckets of chili for a winery event that was held on an annual basis. My trick was to use tri tip and either ground round or ground sirloin (based on avaibility) that I mesquite smoked.

The fat content of the sirloin made it a slightly better choice, but cost and health benefits of the leaner ground round (actual round steaks ground into hamburger) made it a good substitute.

I suspect BHopkins blend would make it unbeatable in a chili cook-off. At least in my mind.

 

[BHopkins]

Oh, bookmarking this thread for sure. I used to make buckets of chili for a winery event that was held on an annual basis. My trick was to use tri tip and either ground round or ground sirloin (based on avaibility) that I mesquite smoked.

The fat content of the sirloin made it a slightly better choice, but cost and health benefits of the leaner ground round (actual round steaks ground into hamburger) made it a good substitute.

I suspect BHopkins blend would make it unbeatable in a chili cook-off. At least in my mind.

Hmm. I'm intrigued with the idea of smoking the tri tip before putting it in the chili. How do you do it? I'm thinking cold smoke (150°f) for perhaps 1 1/2 - 2 hours, just long enough to get the smoke flavor, but not actually cook the tri tip? And I'm a huge fan of mesquite for beef. Mesquite is a Texan flavor. Chili is a Texan dish. I may have to try that.

I really enjoy the texture of the little cut up squares of meat, after it has cooked for a few hours, and they fall apart when you bite into them, so I've never made chili with ground beef. But I may try cutting up round steaks or sirloin steaks.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Not quite cold smoke, and not a traditional smoke job, but whole tri tips and thick slabs of the ground beef on the Big Green Egg (any domed smoker will work) with lots of the big chunk mesquite. Cooked only to rare or slightly more on the Egg, final cook is in the pot. The smoke is so heavy it infuses the meat in little time (unlike a more subtle long smoke like ribs or brisket). The smoke is a bit heavy for burgers or tri tip slices by themselves, but it is perfect for chili. The tri tip chunks are the real treat, but the ground captures more mesquite and adds body to the mix.
I also would smoke a passel of turkey breasts on the Egg, and give them to the wife to make (please don't stone me) turkey chili. I know it's not chili, but with the heavy mesquite it was a great dish.

 

[Tom NJ]

What type of beef do you use? I used to cut up a chuck roast into 1/2" cubes, but now I use tri tip. It was too much work trying to cut out all the gristle and fat out of the chuck roast.

I use ground beef, cooked in a frying pan like a huge hamburger and then broken up to give fairly large chunks, about 1/2". My spice mix pretty much negates any taste nuances from the beef so I go for texture, although smoked beef sounds interesting. Since I do not have a smoker (yet), a few drops of liquid smoke may give a similar effect.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I have used poblano peppers before, and like that flavor in my chili. I've never tried serrano. Nor any secret ingredient.

If I understand correctly, cacao is raw beans, where cocoa beans have been roasted? If these were used as a secret ingredient, how would they have been used? Would they have been roasted, before grinding?

I have heard of many Texas chili recipes including cocoa or cinnamon, but have never tried that.

I think she buys cacao nibs and grinds them with the dried chili.
.
The beans have been fermented and dried not roasted. She hasn't used Dutched Cocoa from what I recall - but that could be an option. No Fat in that though.

Another thing (more secrets?) water is not used in the stew pot but some other liquid

I will say for sure cigar ash is not used. Hard and $$$ to get those good Cubano Figurado

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I was just recalling that she typically uses more dried and re-roasted California Anaheim chili in the chili blend than any other type. Split with any seeds and veins removed then ground.

 

[BHopkins]

I think she buys cacao nibs and grinds them with the dried chili.
.
The beans have been fermented and dried not roasted. She hasn't used Dutched Cocoa from what I recall - but that could be an option. No Fat in that though.

Another thing (more secrets?) water is not used in the stew pot but some other liquid

I will say for sure cigar ash is not used. Hard and $$$ to get those good Cubano Figurado

I may try cacao in a batch.

I have never used water as an ingredient in my chili. The thought had never crossed my mind.

I was just recalling that she typically uses more dried and re-roasted California Anaheim chili in the chili blend than any other type. Split with any seeds and veins removed then ground.

I have also used Anaheim peppers. In fact, Anaheim was the main pepper in the original recipe. Over time, I have used substitutes when different peppers were not available in the local stores. Mexican groceries are plentiful here in Utah, so I have no problem finding most any variety of dried peppers. It gives me the opportunity to try a lot of different peppers.

I just checked my notes, and remembered that when Anaheim peppers are dried, they are called chili California. So I do have Anaheim in my blend.

 

[Jdeere562]

I used to hit the Mexican isle at Walmart. Buy dried peppers of a few sorts.
Just dumped them in whole for the simmer a few hours, Then picked them out and into the trash can.
If I missed one or two, they were pretty hot in that bite of chili.