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Chili Con Nikki (with brisket, coffee & chocolate)
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1 Review
drbabs
February 12, 2012
I tested this recipe for editors' pick, and I chose it because I loved everything in it, and I totally love chili--I went to school in Texas and attended many a chili cook off. It has great possibility, but the spices and herbs need to be at least doubled--more cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano. More salt and pepper. I used only one cinnamon stick and I took it out after about 2 hours because the chili was starting to taste like just cinnamon. (It did add nice warm notes. ) My jalapeños weren't very hot, so I could have added more, but the chili is overly sweet. It needs less sweetness--unsweetened chocolate instead of dark chocolate, less brown sugar. I ended up putting in only one yellow pepper towards the end because it didn't need more sweetness. I also crushed some garlic and minced some, and I recommend mincing it. I cut the brisket into one-inch pieces as described, but there was no shredding it after that--which was OK with me--I liked the texture of chunky meat in the chili. The chili also seemed to need a bitter note to round out the flavor. I have some left over, and I will add a dark beer to it in addition to more spices and heat. The basics are all here--it's a really interesting way to make chili. The proportions just need to be altered a bit and you have a great meal.
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