Chili

So this is what I made to go with the cornbread: chili. This is only the second time making it here in Japan, which is something Hideaki has never been happy with. He is a chili fiend and is always bugging me to make it. I love chili too, but have been avoiding it for two reasons: the first has to do with chili's anti-social after effects. The second is that ever since my first time making it in Japan, soon after we got married, I've considered this to be a rather expensive dish to make here. Partly because beef is so expensive here, and also because back then I paid big bucks for canned tomatoes and beans at an import grocery store.

This time around, I now have a source for cheap canned tomatoes: they are perpetually on sale at Kaldi for 90 Yen a can. For the beans, I used dried rather than canned, and chose Japanese varieties: soy beans and a kidney-like bean called kintoki mame. And I used a mix of ground pork and beef. And the final product is as economical as it would be back home.

This is very similar to the chili my mom makes, with just a few differences. It's got bacon in it, mostly because I had to cook some to make bacon fat for the cornbread. I also added a little red wine after the meat and onions were cooked, and let it reduce a bit before adding the tomatoes. And in addition to the chili powder, oregano and cumin mom uses, I added a bit of Chipotle Tabasco sauce. I would have loved to use real chipotle or another fancy pepper, but that trend has yet to reach Japan and this sauce was as close as I could get. Finally, I cooked it a day before in order to get that second day flavour. Mom never did that-- there's no chance we would have let the chili sit uneaten overnight.

It was indeed torture waiting a whole day to eat it. But it was so worth the wait. Delicious, comforting, a lot like mom's, and great sopped up with corn bread. I added a little sour cream and cilantro to mine, both of which are minor luxuries here (I usually avoid buying because Hideaki hates them but every once in a while I deserve a treat). Best of all- no nasty side effects. I had taken care preparing the beans, changing the water several times during the soaking and cooking.

Comments

[Cass]

Around here you can pick up big cans of kidney beans at the 100yen store, of all places, which is lucky as my boyfriend is also mad for chilli and I end up making it every couple of weeks. Next time I might have a shot at the cornbread too, now I have photographic proof it can be made in a toaster oven :)

[Taube]

I just came across your blog a couple of months ago and have enjoyed reading about your cooking adventures. I live in Himeji, Japan and was surprised to see cilantro in your picture! Where can I get fresh cilantro? Is there another name for it? I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide in helping me to locate it. I miss it so much!
Thank you, Taube

[Kat]

I'll have to add this to my "to make" list when I get back to Japan!

[Stasia]

Anti-social after effects are prevented in these parts by epazote:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysepazote.html

They also have dried anchos and ground ancho pepper... if you ever want to do a trade for some Japanese crafting mags or books, let me know! ;)

Chili looks great. I've been making mine with bison lately.

[Amy]

Cass, that's cheap! Prices have certainly gone down since the first time I made it, but now that I know how much easier on the stomach it is to soak and cook my own dried beans, I'll probably be avoiding the cans!
The cornbread was cooked in my convection/microwave oven, which is slightly bigger than a toaster oven. But you should be fine with your toaster oven.

Taube, cilantro shows up now and again in larger supermarkets, as well is import and ethnic food markets. It goes by a few names, including coriander, kousai, pakchi and shantsai (コリアンダー、香菜、パクチー、and シアンツァイ、respectively). You can also buy seeds and try growing it yourself- planting season is just around the corner! My plants usually die off quickly, but I'll be trying again this year.

Kat, how can you even think about that with all the good stuff you're eating!

Stasia, interesting! When I was a vegetarian I swore by Beano, but I've never heard of Epazote. And a trade is a great idea!

[JimBob]

Always good to hear that B. Morocco is still a'rootin' and tootin'.

JB

[Amy]

That's it old man. You're banned!