Do You Make Homemade Chili Powder?

[ARCOgraphite]

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 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.

Chew on a cacao nib then take a spoon full of Chili and see if it does something for you. If not skip it.
you can also try a 90 % dark chocolate bar, maybe melt a piece of it in a cup of red. A little bit easier and maybe a little bit different.

Somtimes when I am eating at a so-so Italian restaurant I'll take some Tuscan Zin or Chianti out of my glass and spoon some in the marinara and BINGO! All of the sudden it's all North End of Boston

A little bit of something appropriate can add a complexity that makes the taste buds happy.

 

[BHopkins]

Good suggestion, @ARCOgraphite. I was wondering how to experiment without changing a whole batch of chili.

 

[97prizm]

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.

My grandfather was from the pecos New Mexico area, so he always made chile molido, and a red chili from Chimayo chilies. Baked them in the oven and then ground them up. My grandmother cooks beef down in the red chili.