Midwestern chili is not the kind of chili that abuses your mouth with five-alarm heat, nor is it exotic. It’s not as though I wouldn’t love a chili so sophisticated as to include toasted cumin crema and avocado relish. But Midwestern Chili is a comfort food. This chili is not going to challenge you to a game of five-finger fillet. This chili is going to invite your corn-fed, all-star quarterback in from football practice for a warm, hearty, strapping meal on a crisp, brisk afternoon in the middle of autumn.

Makes a ton

In the Midwest, chili often includes (as mine does) red or kidney beans. But if it’s Midwestern, it’s not suburban: pair it with a Gatecrasher or a 312 Urban Wheat, but for Christ’s sake not a Bud Lite or a pop.

Midwestern Chili Ingredients:

2¼-2½ lbs 85% lean ground beef
2 Tbs olive oil
2 med white onions, chopped (get out your goggles)
2 med green bell peppers, diced
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
A source of spicy heat, to taste, optional
7 med-to-large cloves garlic, sliced
3 large (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes (optionally, swap out one can with whole, peeled tomatoes)
2 med (15.25-oz) cans beans: red, kidney, black, or mix’m up

Directions:

1. Scramble the beef over fairly high heat until browned, about 14-15 minutes. Pour it into a colander placed over a large bowl, allowing the juices to drain into the bowl. 2. Meanwhile, add olive oil to the pan and warm it over medium-high heat until it shimmers. If you like raw onion as a chili garnish, reserve a bit of it. Add the remaining onion, along with the peppers and the salt, to the pan, and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent around the edges, about 8-9 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue cook for 1 minute. 3. Place sautéed vegetables and beef into a large soup pot. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Correct seasoning. Strain beans (see notes); add to the pot and heat through. Correct seasonings again. Garnish servings with white cheddar, or whatever.

Notes

1) Not all chili powders are the same. Don’t hesitate to add lots more if the chili isn’t flavorful enough. Although I do love a spicy chili powder, a mild one is a great idea here, because you can freely add as much as you want without worrying that you’ll make the dish too spicy. As an alternative to chili powder, you can blitz dried chiles into a powder with a coffee grinder. You can produce some really interesting chilis this way. 2) When it comes to spicing the chili up, the sky’s the limit: red pepper flakes, sriracha, Tabasco, seeds from dried chiles, Thai chile paste, Thai red peppers, etc. 3) If you buy cans of “chili beans” – which is what any self-respecting Midwesterner would be apt to do, then don’t strain them.

I typically reheat chili by the serving, in a microwave. If you want to reheat a whole potful, an Instant Pot is a nice way to go. Load it up straight from the fridge (and add water, maybe), being careful not to exceed the “max” marking on the inner pot. Twist on the lid, and set the PRESSURE COOK function to less (0 minutes), less (pressure). Yes, you can set the pot to zero minutes. This will heat up the chili – surprisingly quickly – and then automatically switch over to KEEP WARM. Stir the chili and check to see if it’s hot enough. If it’s not, repeat the procedure until it is. It should take about 15 minutes, 30 tops. Eventually, the KEEP WARM setting will begin to scorch the chili on the bottom of the pot. If you’re dilligent, you can periodically stir the chili and blend any fond back into the chili.

On Being Midwestern

In the Midwest, we’re relevant and we stay on top of things. The Midwest created Oprah and then released her into the wild. The Midwest gave the world Playboy Magazine and Harley-Davidson; you’re welcome. And then, of course, there’s my favorite Chicago south-sider, Barack Obama.

People in the Midwest speak American English with the correct accent, and yet we have such good manners that we rarely brag about it. And sure, we might say “jeez,” but we mean it. If you’re going to serve this Midwestern Chili to your friends, family, and neighbors (don’t fret, you’ll have plenty), you’ll neee to learn to ask them, “Djeet yet?” to which you should anticipate the proper reply, “No, Djoo?”

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