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Chilli Beef Recipe – warm and spicy

Mexican Chilli Beef Recipe

A good chilli beef recipe is like a good Italian Bolognese. Once you are happy it becomes a family staple. Our recipe has undergone many changes and improvements over the years. For example on a trip 4 years ago to Florence we kept noticing that serious food starts with what they call a soffritto, a starting point of finely chopped onions carrots and celery. We now use that in both our chilli and our Bolognese. Why? Well it works, the combination improves the flavour and is healthy. When we started using Chipotles for our hot sauce we started adding a dried Chipotle to our chilli and that works as well, the smoky richness comes out and makes the dish better. I hope you enjoy this chilli beef recipe, it has heart and goes really well with some rough sourdough or baguette bread.

I used about half the mushrooms so 350gm

Everything added now and ready for slow cooking for 2 hours covered

Things to think about

Sides – Have a nice side salad yes of course. Use it to make a delicious burrito or wrap, yes of course, but we like the rich flavour as it is. Rice, well we don’t we think it dilutes the richness but a lot love it. Avocados oh they go so well, Good crusty bread…of course.

Starting right – I suggest just a soffritto but of course it will be richer if you use a little pancetta or streaky bacon or even a chopped chorizo. A good chilli is a layer of flavours and quite complex.

Beans – some like red beans some pinto some black beans are the only authentic bean. We have tried several beans and hey they all taste good. We generally add two beans and no further. yes I see stories of 4 bean chilli beef recipe or even 5 bean but really can you actually tell? Isn’t it a bit much and can the flavours stand out?

Beef – You can go all the way to buying a shoulder and slow cooking it then shredding but we just use a good quality ground beef. Preferably from a good butcher as supermarket beef is pumped a bit with water and stuff. Don’t got too fatty, 20% fat will give you a greasy unpalatable dish. Stick to 5 -15%. Slow cooking for 2 hours helps. If I see a recipe that says 45 minutes I wonder.

Herbs and spices – We like to use fresh thyme, they use it a lot in Mexico. Also parsley and coriander, nice fresh green. I use commercial mix, yes some might say lazy, but I grew up with it. Quality is important, ideally a USA company will have a better blend if you can get that. Schwartz are good. Steer clear of the supermarket blends there is a reason they are cheaper. A good chilli will be a bit smoky so we use Chipotle peppers plus our sauce which contains Chipotle.

Keeping it – it keeps for a week in the fridge, it freezes well. You don’t always want it two days in a row so that’s good.

Chilli Beef

A warm filling beef chilli that will become a family favourite

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 2

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients

500 gm ground beef
1 Onion Large chopped
5 Garlic cloves chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
1 large sweet pepper (or two medium) rough chopped 1 x 1 inch
2 dried chipotle
1 box mushrooms (300-350gm) rough chopped
1 tbsp chilli powder mild
2 tsp chilli powder hot
1 tbs salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tp black pepper ground
stock cube or 2 tbs of home made
2 tins plum tomato chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tins Beans (black or kidney, or pinto or..)
1 tbs Ooft! Chipotle sauce
1 large Bay leaf
5 sprigs thyme or 2 tsp dried.
1 small bunch coriander and parsley chopped

Instructions

Finely chop the celery, carrot and onion and sweat in olive oil (1 tbs) for 10-15 minutes until onions soft on medium to low heat. (soffritto)
Push to one side increase heat to high and add beef to brown. If it throws water let that steam off and then combine with soffritto
add sweet pepper, tinned tomato ( I usually rinse the tins out with a couple of tabs of hot water and add) and turn heat to medium
Add, stock, chilli powders, salt, pepper, thyme bay leaf parsley, coriander, dried chipotle and Ooft! tinned beans (drained) mushrooms and tomato paste, sugar and garlic
Stir and let cook on low heat (I use a 3 but for you ?) for two hours checking and stirring occasionally. Taste adjust seasoning and serve with crusty bread.

Keyword chilli, chilli beef, chilli beef recipe

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Chipotle Liver recipe with onions and mash

Chipotle Liver Recipe – tasty

Liver and onions a rich hearty dish for your evening meal. This lovely rich dish is much improved by adding Ooft! Chipotle Sauce while cooking. The smoky chilli’s develop the flavour in a similar way to adding smoky bacon. You can use chicken livers for this dish which I find a nice alternative as they are usually sweeter and less “livery” than lambs. An economical and health giving cut of meat, probably the least expensive meat. Its high in quality protein, vitamin A and the best meat source of available iron so excellent for anaemia. Eaten a lot by athletes and recommended by doctors. Enough meat to serve 4 people costs about £2 or less.

Buy Ooft! smoky Chipotle to make this recipe here

Chipotle Liver

Chipotle peppers add a rich smoky flavour that complements the liver

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Prep Time 30

1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

6 pieces lambs liver (or 0.5k chicken)
1 onion sliced
1 1 fresh large tomato (or 1/2 tin chopped)
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
3 tbsp Ooft! Chipotle
1 tsp 1 tsp sun dried tomato paste
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

using 2 tbs oil, sweat onions and peppers and fresh tomato down until soft (if using tinned tomato add when onions soft), about 10 minutes.
Dust meat strips in seasoned flour. Put aside onion mixture and add extra tbs oil and fry liver for 3 min a side. Return onion mix to pan and add Ooft! , sun dried tomato paste, salt to taste and stir together to coat. Serve with mashed potato. Add more Chipotle sauce and sprinkle Coriander to dress.

Keyword chipotle liver, mexican liver

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Caribbean Oxtail – slow cooked with red beans

Caribbean Oxtail and red beans

Oxtails are an underrated cut and are full of flavour.

Let me start off by saying this is not what you would get in Trinidad. This is a version based on the way people in UK cook that gets you very close to stewed Oxtail without actually stewing. Oxtail in Trinidad is usually cooked or stewed using brown sugar melted on oil and then the oxtails quickly coated with the rich melted sugar and finally water or stock added and allowed to cook on the stove for 3 to 4 hours. For a look at this authentic Trinidad stewing see our recipe for brown chicken SEE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Slow Cook

1kg fresh oxtails, 1 onion, carrot and celery,

1 tbs brown sugar in 1 tbs oil

Red Beans

1 onion 1 sweet pepper, 1 clove garlic, plus two tomatoes chopped (optional piece of pumpkin)

1 tin red beans (drained)

2 tbs chopped parsley and 2inch of tomato paste from tube

Gravy

We use a little Bisto in water to thicken the red bean mixture but you can use cornflour or potato starch instead

This is a very tasty and nutritious meal. It keeps well in the fridge and show here would serve 3-4. Stewing the oxtail adds a lovely caramelise to the taste. The red beans slow cooked in onions and sweet peppers and garlic are a great addition. This is a recipe we use once or twice a month. The slow cooked ox tails melt in the mouth.

METHOD

Slow Cook

First slow bake the oxtails oven 130-140C with water to cover, onion, carrot and celery for 3 hours. This can (and often is for us) be done up to a week before the final dish. Then when ready to serve, separate oxtails from liquid (sometime the liquid set so you may have to heat enough to liquefy., also of course remove fat).

STEWING THE OXTAILS

Take a wok and put 2 tbs oil and 1 tbs brown sugar. heat medium until sugar turns to caramel (watch it closely as you don’t want it to go black and taste burnt). Then throw in the oxtails and stir until coated and allow to heat up.

THE RED BEANS

Meanwhile in a separate pan (cover between) sauté 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped sweet pepper with a crushed garlic slowly until softened and transparent (6-8min). Add a few pieces of chopped pumpkin (optional) and 2 tomato chopped and let this simmer until the tomato is soft (13min). Add a little stock from the oxtails, chopped parsley salt and pepper, 2 tsp Ooft!, plus 1tbs of tomato paste. Add a drained tin of red beans. Let cook until pumpkin cooked (15min).

THE GRAVY

Meanwhile that’s cooking prepare gravy. Add 1.5 cup stock to a pan heat then add 1 tbs Bisto dissolved in a little water to thicken. Hold.

FINAL MIX

We combine the three components and let them warm together to create our version of Caribbean Oxtail

Accompaniments

We serve with plain white jasmine rice.

This meal goes very well with our own hot sauce press button to buy

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Caribbean oxtail

Rich tasting oxtails slow cooked until the meat melts off the bone, then sugar stewed and served with red bean stew

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Prep Time 4

Cook Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean

Servings 4

Calories 245 kcal

Ingredients

1 kg Oxtails plus onion carrot and celery cover with water and slow cook for 3 hours
1 tin red beans drained
1 tbspn sugar
1 Onion Sliced
1 Sweet pepper sliced
2 large tomatoes chopped
2 inch tomato paste from tube
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Slow Cook
First slow bake the oxtails oven 130-140C with water to cover, onion, carrot and celery for 3 hours. This can (and often is for us) be done up to a week before the final dish. Then when ready to serve, separate oxtails from liquid (sometime the liquid set so you may have to heat enough to liquefy., also of course remove fat).
STEWING THE OXTAILS
Take a wok and put 2 tbs oil and 1 tbs brown sugar. heat medium until sugar turns to caramel (watch it closely as you don’t want it to go black and taste burnt). Then throw in the oxtails and stir until coated and allow to heat up.
THE RED BEANS
Meanwhile in a separate pan (cover between) sauté 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped sweet pepper with garlic slowly until softened and transparent (6-8min). Add a few pieces of chopped pumpkin (optional) and 2 tomato chopped and let this simmer until the tomato is soft (13min). Add a little stock from the oxtails, chopped parsley salt and pepper, 2 tsp Ooft!, plus 1tbs of tomato paste. Add a drained tin of red beans. Let cook until pumpkin cooked (15min).
THE GRAVY
Meanwhile that’s cooking prepare gravy. Add 1.5 cup stock to a pan heat then add 1 tbs Bisto (or cornflour) dissolved in a little water to thicken. Hold.
FINAL MIX
We combine the three components and let them warm together to create our version of Caribbean Oxtail

Notes

We use a little Bisto in water to thicken the red bean mixture but you can use cornflour or potato starch instead

This is a very tasty and nutritious meal. It keeps well in the fridge and would serve 4-6. Stewing the oxtail adds a lovely caramelise to the taste. The red beans slow cooked in onions and sweet peppers and garlic are a great addition. This is a recipe we use once or twice a month. The slow cooked ox tails melt in the mouth.

Keyword Caribbean oxtail, Oxtail stew, oxtails

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Shredded Beef Tortilla Wrap – slow cooked beef

Mexican Style Shredded beef tortilla wrap

Mexican wraps have taken the Uk by storm. They are easy to make, use simple ingredients and are tasty. In an age where its all about quick and easy they work for many hard pressed working people. But if you take a little time you can make these simple foods into gourmet treats. This recipe uses slow cooked shredded home baked beef, but tis not a big hard thing to do, season and pop in the oven at the weekend and set the timer. Then you have lovely fork mash able meat for wraps for a week, that is just so much tastier. Use a quality sauce like Ooft! Chipotle. Many of the sauces sold in supermarkets are not that tasty and full of additives and chemicals.

Recipe – shredded beef tortilla wrap

Ingredients (for 4-6 people)

1kg beef brisket

1 bottle ooft! Chipotle

1 Onion

2 cloves Garlic

Lettuce, avocado, sweet peppers

Method -shredded beef tortilla wrap

Take a frying pan and render down some onions and garlic slowly. Remove and turn up heat and sear pieces of brisket until browned. Add all to a covered oven pan together with half a bottle of Ooft! Hot Chipotle sauce and enough water to cover meat, and cook low for 4 hours. Drain and simmer sauce in pan until reduced by about half and nice and thick. The beef will shred with a fork. This can keep for several days and served quickly when you come home from work. This can be served many ways.

Shown here served on a warm tortilla with lettuce, sweet pepper strips (for crunch) and sliced avocado topped with more Ooft! Chipotle.

But you could equally well put that tortilla in an open dish, add Spanish rice and cover with grated cheese and grill to make a tamale.

Assembly of the wrap, lots of Chipotle sauce

Goes really well with our own Smoky Chipotle Hot Sauce buy click button below

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Shredded Beef Tortilla Wrap

Slow cooked beef shredded into a lovely wrap, cook once and serve several times as it keeps well

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 2

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

1 kg beef brisket
1/2 bottle Chipotle sauce
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 lettuce
1 avocado
1 sweet pepper

Instructions

Take a frying pan and render down some onions and garlic slowly.
Remove and turn up heat and sear pieces of brisket until browned.
Add all to a covered oven pan together with half a bottle of Ooft! Hot Chipotle sauce and enough water to cover meat, and cook low for 4 hours.
Drain and simmer sauce in pan until reduced by about half and nice and thick.
The beef will shred with a fork. This can keep for several days and served quickly when you come home from work. This can be served many ways.
Shown here served on a warm tortilla with lettuce, sweet pepper strips (for crunch) and sliced avocado topped with more Ooft! Chipotle.
But you could equally well put that tortilla in an open dish, add Spanish rice and cover with grated cheese and grill to make a tamale.

Keyword beef burrito, beef tortilla, beef wrap