Hey guys!! So, my apologies for not posting this the other night. I was just too sleepy to do it so sorry that I inadvertently lied to you all and didn't actually post two blogs in one night. But, here is the second one. This one is a great one for a cold night or maybe even a game day party! Here is Rachael's "Mole Chile" with "Baked Fresh Chili Fries" and "Ranch Dipper".
First up is the dipper. Like the buffalo sauce from the last blog, you can make this first and let it sit. The longer it sits, the better it gets! All you have to do is chop your fresh herbs, combine them with the buttermilk, sour cream and hot sauce and you are good to go. Makes a great dipping sauce that you could use for lots of different snacks too!!!
Next up, the chili fries. Now, like most of you, i assumed these were gonna be fries covered with chili, but no. These are actually chili peppers that are sliced and then baked!! First, slice up your jalapenos and poblanos. Make a breading station of the flour, milk mixture, and bread crumb mixture. Coat the peppers in the flour, then milk mixture, then bread crumb mixture!! Place on a baking sheet and then place in the oven until done. Now, I put these on just a baking sheet, and forgot to turn them, so they didn't get crispy enough and were soggy on the bottom. One way to combat this is to actually remember to turn them lol. What I will probably do next time I make these is to put them on a cooling rack and then on my baking sheet just like I would to make bacon in the oven. This way, the heat wraps all around the peppers and they cook evenly on both sides because lets face it, I'm gonna forget to turn them again :) Once they are done, take them out and serve with the ranch dipper!
Lastly is the Mole Chili. This one is really good. Very smoky flavored and it's so good! First up add in your Ancho chilis to a pot and add in your entire quart of beef stock. Rachael Tip: To seed your anchos, if they are really dried out, just cut off the ends and pour out the seeds. If they are still a little pliable, use a pairing knife to cut off the end and then split the pepper open down the side and scrape out the seeds. Heat these up to a boil an then simmer for 10 minutes so the chilis can reconstitute. I've heard Rachael describe these as "spicy raisins", which is how Bobby Flay describes them, and when i opened the bag, they actually smelled like raisins! Then, heat your oil in a skillet. This one calls for vegetable oil. I actually didn't have any but I had some safflower oil. It's a high heat oil like vegetable oil so it works fine. But, when it runs out, I will be switching back to vegetable oil. From taking my nutrition course this semester, it actually has the lowest levels of bad cholesterol than any other oil. EVOO is a great substitute because of the antioxidants in it and they are both nice fats to use to lower LDL's which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. So , there is your health lesson for the day!! Back to the chili. So, heat the oil and then add the bacon. Once it is crisp, add in the ground sirloin and raise the heat up to high and let the meat go for about 7 - 8 minutes. Once it's browned well add in the veggies and let them go for another 5 - 6 minutes. At this point, add your anchos and stock to the food processor and pulse until the anchos are broken down! My food processor overflowed when I did this so if yours is a little small you may wanna add some of the stock and leave some in the pot so it doesn't overflow. Add your tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook for a minute then add in the ancho stock, the tomatoes and spices. One of the ingredients that may seem a little odd in this one is the unsweetened cocoa powder! Sounds crazy but the flavor in this chili is fantastic so don't leave it out! Let it simmer to combine all the flavors for a few minutes and it's ready to serve. The recipe calls for white extra sharp cheddar, raw purple onion and chopped pickled vegetables to go on top. All we used was the cheese so on the toppings go with what you like!!
It was yummy!
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