There is no one recipe for chilli con carne. Feel free to experiment by adding your own extra special something - but make sure it's not a cigar...
There are, as we shall see, many ways to make a great chilli con carne. But first, here is one way not to: add a cigar to the pot. I learned this useful lesson in October 2011, when I was invited to compete in the inaugural Chilli Stand-Off, organised by Jonathan Downey. Downey is a restaurateur, club owner and urban alchemist - he takes derelict locations in London and transforms them, temporarily, into thrilling temples to food.
That morning, eight teams of chefs convened in a disused warehouse in east London. Among the competitors were pop-up restaurateur Carl Clarke, Stevie Parle and James "Jocky" Petrie, then Heston Blumenthal's number two, who had already slow-cooked his chilli sauce for 36 hours. Outside, more than 400 hungry people queued to sample our wares, and to pass judgment on the winning chilli.
Daunted by the competition, my team-mate, chef Fred Dickinson, and I decided to make our chilli experimental. We threw in smoked pig's cheeks, avocado leaves, cocoa nibs, five different kinds of chilli (devil's penis, chile piquìn, bird's eye, red long, poblano) and - this was supposed to give it extra smokiness - a Cohiba cigar. Yet the end result was a mysteriously thin gruel. We lost by a resounding margin.
But I did learn a lot about chilli from the other participants, including this: there is no definitive chilli recipe. Chilli con carne is a mongrel of a dish, descended from the efforts of generations of cooks, cowboys and (in Britain) students stewing up meat and beans.
So feel free to tinker with our recipe and create your own signature chilli. Just make sure your signature is not a cigar. Don't add a cigar. Don't do it.
• Meat: Minced beef is essential for the simple and economical midweek chilli. I like to add a chunk of browned pork belly to give extra flavour and a luxurious texture. If you want something really fancy, try 1cm pieces of chuck steak or skirt instead of minced beef.
To get it really tender, you'll probably have to cook it for longer. You can also use half beef and half pork mince, or a mixture of diced and minced beef. Some people add chorizo or spicy sausage, which is too fancy for my palette.
• Tomatoes: Older recipes leave out tomatoes altogether, using stock or water for moisture, but cooked long and slow, the addition of tomatoes is surprisingly good. You may want to add a little coffee (filter, not instant!) or beer to the stock if you take this route.
• The beans: Kidney, by default. Black beans or pinto beans can also be used - or a mixture of all three.
• Length of cook: Our recipe gives a fairly short, midweek-supper cooking time. But the more time you give it, the better it will get. Cook for up to two hours, adding water if it dries out. You will be amazed at how the flavour deepens. For the same reason, chilli always tastes better reheated the following day.
• The chillies: No need for devil's penis, but this is an area where you can go to town. My collaborator Jane Baxter occasionally puts in a whole scotch bonnet or two for a super-spicy chilli, which results in her son dashing for the yoghurt pot. You can mix it up with lots of chilli varieties, fresh or dried (or the smoky chipotle). Tabasco, sriracha or other chilli sauces can also be added during cooking .
• Other herbs and spices: We have gone with super-simple: ground cumin, dried oregano and bay are the most common additions.
• Toppings and sides: Grated cheese is essential, preferably with yoghurt or sour cream. Fresh salsa is also good to cut the richness. Jane always adds a salad of chopped avocado, tomato, onion and lime. Toasted corn tortillas sprinkled on the top or on the side. Corn: boiled, grilled or braised. Greens: braised kale, chard or spinach; or grilled broccoli or leeks. Have some yoghurt in the fridge to hand in case you have overdone the chilli.
• Special ingredients: Some people swear by adding coffee (see above), others add a dash of cocoa powder. I quite like to stir in a grating of chocolate just before serving. My wife thinks malt vinegar gives a special twang. Find your own special something extra.
Chilli con carne
This recipe is for a very basic chilli. Chilli tends to be very personal and is a great starting point for experimenting with recipes. Don't forget there are vegetarian alternatives: see below for an excellent black-bean chocolate chilli sin carne.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 15 mins
Serves 4-6
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
½ leek or celery stick, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
500g steak mince
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, chopped
1 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper
2 heaped tsp paprika
1 red pepper, finely chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
300ml chicken or beef stock
400g tin cooked kidney beans, drained
Salt and pepper
1 In a large pan cook the finely chopped veg in olive oil over a medium heat for about 15 minutes without browning. Meanwhile, heat another pan until it is very hot, tip in the mince and brown it as much as possible . If your pan is not hot enough, the meat may start to stew: this isn't a disaster; you will just lose a little flavour .
2 Tip the veg into the meat pan along with the garlic, chillies, chilli powder, paprika and red pepper and stir well. Cook together for 5 minutes over a medium heat and season well .
3 Add the tomatoes, mix together and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring up to a simmer. Turn the heat down and cook for another 40 minutes, stirring occasionally before adding the beans. Leave it on a low heat for another 10 minutes for the beans to heat through.
4 Check and adjust the seasoning, then serve.
Recipe by Jane Baxter
A vegetarian option: black-bean chocolate chilli
This chilli can be served either in a wrap, with grated cheese and chopped tomato salsa, or with rice. Kidney beans or any white beans can be substituted for the black beans.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 aubergine, cut into small dice
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 mild red chilli, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g chopped tomatoes (tinned are fine)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 x 300g tin of black beans
Salt and black pepper
25g dark chocolate (or chilli chocolate), broken up
1 Heat the oil in a large shallow frying pan, add the onion and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
2 Add the diced aubergine and continue frying for a further 5 minutes, stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking.
3 Sprinkle over the spices, chilli and garlic, turn up the heat and stir for a minute, then tip in the tomatoes and soy sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the aubergine is tender.
4 Add the beans to the pan and cook for a few more minutes, then season well and remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, stir until it has just melted, then serve.
Recipe from Leon: Fast Vegetarian (Conran Octopus)
Henry Dimbleby is co-founder of the natural fast-food restaurant chain Leon. Twitter: @henry_leon
Feel free to tinker with this good basic recipe for a chilli con carne. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian