Tam’s Award Winning Chili Sauce

This H.O.T. Fair (late 1970s or early 80s) award winning chili sauce,  is a great way to sneak in tons of unseen healthy veggies most people wouldn’t even consider putting into a chili sauce (and with the right amount of seasonings it tastes just like regular chili sauce).  It can be made more or less spicy and the seasonings adjusted to taste. It may be canned or frozen.

Once cooked and cooled sufficiently to safely handle, puree until smooth, then package to freeze — or boil and pour into hot sterilized jars if canning —  then, to use later, just add to any meat of choice to make of pot of chili or it may be used in or over top of other recipes.

Later, you can also add cinnamon and baking cocoa powder to turn it into a spicy chili mole sauce if desired to use in other types of recipes — rather than just using it “as is” to make a pot of chili.

 

Tam’s Chili Sauce

May be canned or frozen and used to make a pot of chili or used in other recipes. 

1-3/4 to 2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced AND/OR small egg plant, peeled, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped (yellow, white, or red/purple)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 or 2 red chili pepper, habanero pepper, or jalapeno pepper, chopped, with or without seeds as desired
1/2 to 3/4 cup coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not flavored, not packed in oil)
6 to 8 Roma or cherry tomatoes; or 1 Heirloom or Beef Steak tomato, chopped
2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced
2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, diced, or to taste (optional)
2 to 4 Tbsp. fresh parsley or 1 to 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 cup very finely shredded zucchini
1 cup very finely shredded yellow squash
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) no added salt diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans (10 ounces each) tomatoes with chilies, un-drained
1 small can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable or beef broth
2 to 4 Tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons to 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, or to taste
2 teaspoons to 1 Tbsp. paprika
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper, or to taste
2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 to 1 teaspoon preferred hot sauce, or to taste

Remember to stir as needed throughout.

In a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil then saute mushrooms and/or egg plant, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and choice of chili, habanero, or jalapeno pepper in oil until tender.

Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Stir in small can of tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. When begins bubbling cook for 1 minutes more to infuse flavors.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until all of the vegetables are very soft.

Taste test and adjust any seasonings as desired, simmering 2 to 5 minutes after each addition to incorporate and meld the flavors. Repeat as needed.

 

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The brown sugar and vinegar may also be adjusted if desired to make it tangier or the brown sugar used to mellow out the vinegar — just don’t over do it, especially the sugar, or you could end up making it taste more like BBQ sauce — if that happens, try adding more cumin and a bit more chili powder.

Or, if that fails, then just turn it into a sweet and spicy mole sauce instead by adding cinnamon and baking cocoa powder which is good for baking or cooking up a skillet full of chicken mole.  Or, simply use it as a BBQ sauce or as a topping for meatloaf! 

Mistakes can happen when trying to learn to do something new but they aren’t always failures to be thrown out!  Be prepared to use a Plan B and always try new things out before you actually need them for a planned dinner party or other important event.

Many sauces use very similar ingredients and it is just a few adjustments to the seasonings, or quantities of ingredients, or the addition of a few more extra things that makes them different. 

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If you have a hand held emulsifier puree the chili sauce in the pot until smooth. If not, cool until safe to handle and puree until smooth a little at a time in a food processor or blender. Return the smooth pureed sauce to the pot.

Simmer uncovered to reduce down liquid content and get to the desired thickness. Add more vegetable or beef broth to thin if needed.

Remember, when using the sauce later to make chili, the cooking meat (or veggies if making vegetarian chili) will release juices that will thin the sauce so make the sauce thicker than desired now to save time reducing the chili to thicken it later. 

The pureed chili sauce can be brought to a boil, kept at a low steady boil for 12 to 15 minutes, and then poured into hot sterilized quart jars to be canned using recommended up-to-date canning procedures and times appropriate for the altitude; or, it can be cooled and packaged to freeze.

Yield:  Using minimum quantities approximately 3-1/2 to 4-3/4 quarts of chili sauce — depending upon preferred thickness — the amount of reduction done to thicken or the amount of broth added to thin — or more is possible if the maximum quantities and larger sizes of ingredients are used.

Tip: The smaller the ingredients are minced, chopped, thinly sliced, or shredded the easier and quicker it will be to cook down and puree into a smooth chili sauce.

 

To make chili:

Sear or brown the outside of the chosen meat in 2 Tbsp. preheated hot oil, then drain off any excess oil or liquid if required before adding desired quantity of chili sauce.

I usually caramelize a chopped yellow onion with some crushed garlic in melted unsalted butter and thinly slice beef steak, coat lightly in salt, pepper, and flour, and brown on the outside, stir in Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and saute for a minute or two, then add the chili sauce, and simmer on low to low-medium heat for 2-1/2 to 3 hours stirring as needed.  I’ll add additional chili powder and cumin, etc. as needed/desired. 

Cook times will vary with the quantity and type of meat chosen but a long, slow simmer for at least 1 to 1-1/2 hours (or more) creates better flavor when stove top cooking. May also use a crock pot/slow cooker or an electric or regular pressure cooker if desired.

Use as much or as little of the sauce or meat as desired.

If prefer chili with beans, add 2 cups cooked or drained canned whole pinto beans; or may add 1/2 to 1 cup dried (pre-soaked and well rinsed) pinto beans if desired and simply cook longer, until the beans are tender. If using pre-soaked and well rinsed dried pinto beans, add additional sauce, broth, or water as needed since beans will absorb liquid as they cook and swell. May even add canned Ranch Style beans if preferred.

I do not use beans in chili. Chili is just meat with some chili sauce, onion, and garlic. 

 I most often use beef — but deer, elk, rattlesnake, turkey, chicken, and buffalo are also good choices.  However, if using rattlesnake it is best and more tender if cooked under pressure with chili sauce and broth then simmered on the stove top to reduce and thicken if required.

Otherwise, using chili sauce, made with browned ground beef added it is called chuck wagon beans — or if just using pinto beans with a little bacon or fat back added it is called ranch style beans. 

Ladle chili into bowls.

Add toppings if desired such as shredded cheese, chopped avocado, sour cream, or chopped green onion.

Have a bottle of Tabasco, Tiger Sauce, Habanero sauce, or other hot sauce(s) and condiments available for individual use as desired and serve with a side of corn bread or crackers.

 

For vegan or vegetarian chili:

Pour sauce over desired vegetables, stir, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

Recommend trying this combination:  onion, cauliflower, cooked or canned black beans or pinto beans (rinsed and drained), whole kernel sweet corn, bell peppers, avocado, finely shredded carrots, and zucchini.

Ladle into bowls.

Top with chopped green onion, cilantro or parsley, and additional avocado.

Refrigerate left overs. Reheat to serve.