Tombstone Chili

Tombstone Chili

Our Diner: A Big ol Pot o Chili!

I am a big fan of chili. There are so many types you can try.  Beef, turkey, with beans, how many, what kind, no beans at all... Though I know that the purist will insist that competition style is the only way to go I say sod it all and cook what you like.  Here's what I like.  I like a hearty chili with meat, beans and chunks of veggies.  I also like spicy, not blistering your mouth so that you can't taste anything (I save that for buffalo wings) but something with a good kick. 

What you need: 

Meat! About 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef and another lbs of chuck not ground

3 Jalepanos finely chopped

2 habaneros seeded and finely chopped

A pair of latex gloves and no I'm not kidding

2 tbs of vegetable oil

2 32 oz cans of tomato sauce, salt free if possible

1 15oz can of pinto beans drained

1 15oz can of black beans drained

1 15oz can of red kidney beans drained

1 large onion chopped

2 bell peppers chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 cup of beef stock, again with as little salt as possible

1/2 cup of beer try to avoid ales but strangely Guinness is really nice for this.

1/4 cup of chili powder

1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs oregano

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of pepper sauce

1 tsp of basil

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 tsp of cayenne

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon

2 tbl of flour

Get Prepped:

Chop stuff.  Except the ground beef that would just be silly.  Take your chuck and chop it into about 1/2 inch cubes. Chop the garlic, onion and bell peppers and put them in a bowl.  Now get your gloves. The chilis we are using are strong! The oils in them will burn if they make contact with your skin and eyes, believe me this hurts!! Slice them in half to remove the seeds and the inner membrane. The more you leave inside the hotter this will be. Chop finely and place a bowl and keep it out of the way.  Drain the cans of beans.  Measure out your seasonings into one bowl.

Get cookin:

Get a large pot on medium high heat.  Mix the flour in with the chuck until coated.  When the pot heated up add the oil and add all of the meat to brown.  Let it sit for a bit and get brown before you start moving things around.  Stir a bit and let sit again. Check to see if there is a lot of fat at the bottom, this will depend on how lean the meat was, if there is a lot drain some out with a spoon.

Now add the veggies, onions, peppers, garlic and the chilis.  Let them sizzle for a minute or two.  Then add just about everything else except the beer. Stir well bring to a slight boil, because a fast boil will become very messy, set temp to low and cover.

Let it cook this way for at least one hour stirring every so often.  Do not be afraid to let it cook longer to let the flavors meld, I'll let it go most of the afternoon.  Now about an hour before you are ready to eat have a beer and share 1/2 a cup of it with your new friend.  Stir it in and let it simmer for an hour with the lid off.

Serving is up to you. Shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips.  Remember this will be spicy and many of these lovely garish pieces will help cool it down.  If you like less heat take out the habaneros, I'm pretty sure they're behind it.  Enjoy!

Our Movie: Tombstone

OK I'm going to start by saying I am not a big fan of westerns. I caused some problems back home, got in trouble came out west to start a new life and end all arguments by shooting someone and to play poker. This one I love! It is surprisingly accurate, based on media sources from the time period.  Kurt Russel is an intense Wyatt Earp. It also stars Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton as Earp brothers Virgil and Morgan with villains Powers Booth as Curly Bill and Michael Biehn as Johnny Ringo. But with all of this, the show is absolutely stolen by Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday.

We start with our villains, the Cowboys. One of the US's first organized crime syndicates. They crash a wedding of a Mexican lawman who had the audacity to uphold the law against them. We learn here that Johnny Ringo is as intelligent as he is ruthless.

Next we meet our infamous dentist Dr. John Holiday. Due to a harsh case of Tuberculosis he has decided to move west to the dryer climates and enjoy some excitement before the harsh disease runs its course. We find him enjoying simple game of cards with whom I am sure is a close personal friend. He makes a lewd comment to his lady friend Kate and then proceeds to rob everyone. You always need to watch those retirees.

We move on to the local train station near Tombstone to see the Earp boys.  They have come to this frontier town to start a new life as business men.  Wyatt has had enough of crime fighting and would like a nice quiet life. Well that would make for a dull movie so Wyatt goes to the local saloon and beats the crap out of Billy Bob Thornton to get a job as a card dealer. 

There is always tension between Wyatt and the Cowboys.  So the arguments end with people shooting each other after playing cards, yes that's what happens.  This leads to the vendetta between the Earps and Doc against the Clantons and the Cowboys.  The scene at the OK Corral is everything you could expect but that is not the end of the story.  The Earps now find themselves being hunted down by the Coyboys. Wyatt then decides that to protect his friend and his family he has to go after the Cowboys, and hell's coming with him!

Best Lines:

Johnny Ringo: He was quoting the Bible, Revelations. " Behold the pale horse". The man who sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.

Doc: Why Kate, you're not wearing a bustle.  How lewd.

Wyatt with his pistol pointed at Ike's forehead: Your die first, get it? You're friends might get me in a rush but not before I make your head into a canoe, you understand me?

Billy Clanton: He's bluffin!

Ike: No, no... he ain't bluffin.

Doc: And you, music lover.  You're next. (pointing a gun at Billy)

Billy: It's the dunk piano player? You're so drunk you're probably seeing double.

Doc: I have two guns, (pulls out a second pistol) one for each of you.

Doc: I'm your Huckleberry.

Doc: It's true you are a good woman.  Then again, you may be the antichrist.

Wyatt: All right Clanton... you called down the thunder, well now you've got it! You see that? It says United States Marshal! Take a good look at him, Ike.  Cuz that's how you're gonna end up! The Coboys are finished, you understand? I see a red sash, I kill the man wearin it! So run you cur, Run! Tell all the curs the law's comin! You tell em I'm comin ... and hell's comin with me, you hear? HELL'S COMIN WITH ME!

Enjoy and remember Eat, Drink and watch a Movie!