Well, winter has finally arrived here in Wisconsin, and it has arrived with a vengeance, if you can believe the forecast for the next few days. We are expecting 1 to 2 inches of snow today, and possibly 10-13 inches on Tuesday and Wednesday! Time to pull out the winter jacket, gloves, hats and boots. I guess that also means that I’ll need to pull out the shovels.

In anticipation of our first big snow, I made up a big pot of chili, my first of the season. I’m a little late as I usually have made a couple of batches by the time December rolls around, but I never got around to making up a batch this Fall. But with the impending blizzard, and the thought of having to spend a good amount of time shoveling out, I figured now was the time to get a big old pot full of soul warming chili going.

I have a number of recipes for chili, each distinct from the the others in various ways. Some contain beer, others contain whiskey, while others do without any form of alcohol. Most contain tomatoes and beans though a few do not. Some are thickened with corn tortillas or masa harina, while others are thinner and more soup like. Another thing I like to do is add both dried and fresh chiles to my chili as I feel it gives a more complex flavor to the heat. I rarely make the same kind twice in a row and allow my whims to dictate how the chili will turn out. In fact, I hate to say that I have a number or “recipes” for chili, as they are more of a general guideline, that I follow, than anything else.

Yes, I know that last paragraph contained two ingredients that make any chili purist shudder; tomatoes and beans. Okay, I understand, “traditional” chili does not contain these 2 ingredients, but I never claimed that what I make is a historically accurate rendition of the true “chili con carne,” containing only meat, chiles, onions, seasonings, and water. I’m fine with the addition of tomatoes and beans to my chili, but I do draw the line at the addition of pasta, especially spaghetti. Chili with pasta seems to a favorite up here in Wisconsin, but I just don’t understand it, nor do I want to. It’s just wrong!

The recipe I offer up today is a pretty straight forward chili without a lot of complicating flavors, and while it does contain tomatoes and beans, I think that good Texan would still find it comforting and tasty.

Chili

3-4 each Dried Guajillo peppers
2 cups Water
4 pounds Beef, rump roast, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 each Onions, large, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2-6 each Jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped (the amount depends on how hot you like your chili)
1 can (6oz.) Tomato paste
2 cans (14.5oz. each) Diced or Chopped Tomatoes
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
2 tsp. Chili powder
2 cans (15.5oz. each) Kidney Beans, drained
Salt
Pepper

Roughly tear up the guajillo peppers, discarding the seeds. Place in a pot with the 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand, at least, 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile season the meat with salt and pepper and in a large pot brown it, in oil, over high heat. This will need to be done in at least 4-5 batches so as to not cool down the pan too much by overcrowding. This is one of the most important steps that most people fail at when making any kind of stew (which chili essentially is) or braised dish. Take the time to get a nice dark sear on the meat.

Remove each batch of meat from pan as it browns and give the pan a minute to heat up again before adding the next batch. After all the meat is done add the onions, garlic and jalapenos to the pan and saute until the onions start to wilt, scraping up any of the meat juices that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile puree the guajillos and water in a blender until smooth. Add the pepper puree to the onions and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the can of tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so that it doesn’t burn. Add the 1 cup of water along with the diced tomatoes and stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the liquid. Add the spices.

Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the chili doesn’t burn. After 2 hours, add the kidney beans, cover again and simmer 30 minutes longer. Once the 30 minutes are up remove the cover and allow to continue to cook until the meat is tender and you have achieved the desired consistency. I like this chili rather thick so I let the liquid reduce down considerably. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve as you like. Personally, I like mine with a side of tortilla chips, though my wife likes to top hers with minced onions, sour cream and shredded cheese.

In the last few years I’ve become a convert of Crock Pots and slow cookers. In my younger days, as a chef, the mere mention of a slow cooker would elicit derisive chuckles out of me and my cohorts. Slow cookers were tools for those who didn’t know how to cook properly, or for the “happy homemaker” who couldn’t master the art of braising. These were my younger, food snob days. I’ve since then changed my tune quite dramatically. Admittedly, I still prefer to create a braised dish on the stove top or in the oven, but those require that I be home for a considerable amount of time to watch over them. Sorry, but I would never leave my house for hours with the oven or stove on, but a Crock Pot is a different story. Plug it in, turn it on, go to work, and come back hours later to a warm, hearty meal.

Slow cookers aren’t the end all for braising though. There are too many dishes that require a more subtle touch than a slow cooker can achieve, or need a better mix of dry and moist heat that the humid environment of a Crock Pot just can’t achieve, but many dishes, such as stews, soups, pot roasts, etc. are perfectly suited for a slow cooker.

There are a couple of tips that I will offer up though to help you make your Crock Pot meal come closer to restaurant quality. The most important is browning your meat before you add it to the slow cooker. Most slow cooker recipes are created to be “dump and go,” but I beg you to take the time to brown your meat first. This is what really helps develop that deep flavor that is found in slow cooked meats. Take the time to brown all sides of the meat to a deep brown before adding it to your slow cooker. After browning the meat deglaze the hot pan with some kind of liquid, preferably a little wine or other alcohol and add this to the slow cooker also, making sure you scrape up any little cooked bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The other tip I offer up, is forget that “high” setting on your Crock Pot. If you are putting something in the cooker before work and won’t be home until dinner time “low” will be plenty to cook just about anything. I don’t care what the recipe says, use the low setting or risk coming home to overly cooked, dry meat. Of course that high setting can be used for shorter cooked items or to reduce the braising liquid after the meat is done, but for any cooking of over 4 hours stay away from that setting.

Today, I created a great Crock Pot Sauerbraten dinner. It was based on a couple of traditional sauerbraten recipes I have. Traditionally the beef is marinated for 2-3 days before cooking. This helps to create a dish with lots of depth of flavor and it also helps to tenderize tougher cuts of meat. In this version I skip the days of marinating. The end product might not have quite the depth of the original but is so flavorful I don’t think you will notice.

Crock Pot Sauerbraten
3-5 pound Chuck Roast
2 each Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs Celery, chopped
2 each Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped
1 cup Red Wine
2/3 cup Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
12 each Cloves, whole
12 each Allspice, whole
20 each Peppercorns, whole
2 each Bay Leaves
8 each Juniper Berries, crushed slightly (optional)
1 cup Water
10 each Gingersnap cookies

Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown both sides of the chuck roast in a hot skillet, until a deep brown. Place meat in a slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Add to the slow cooker. Add vegetables, wine, vinegar and sugar to slow cooker. Place the spices in a coffee filter (for easy removal) and tie shut. Add to the slow cooker, cover, turn to low and allow to cook for at least 5 hours and up to 8. The meat should be fork tender when done. When meat is done crush up the gingersnaps and add to slow cooker along with the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Replace cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Gingersnaps will dissolve into the sauce thickening it. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

**Note** I use the term slow cooker and Crock Pot interchangeably. Crock Pot is a proprietary name for slow cookers though it has become a generic term referring to all slow cookers, in every day usage.

It’s hard to comprehend the shear mass appeal of burgers in the US. Fast food chains have created empires with burgers as thier foundations, fine dining restaurants serve upscale “burgers” made of a variety of ingredients including Kobe beef, foie gras, and truffles. Some restaurants pride themselves on offering countless varieties of burgers, while other places vie for the title of “World’s Largest Burger.”

Part of the reason for this mass appeal is the burger’s adaptability. The burger lends itself to experimentation. From the meat used, to the seasonings mixed into the meat, to the toppings used to garnish them, the variations are endless. Unfortunately so are the number of crappy burgers and ill concieved toppings. Just because you can put it on a burger doesn’t mean you should. I also don’t believe in the adage that more is better, at least not in most cases. 3-4 well chosen toppings slipped into the bun, along with the burger is more than enough. More than that, and more often then not, you end up with all these conflicting flavors that mask the burger, which should be the star of the show. I am also not a big fan of mixing too many things into the burger meat. I have eaten too many burgers that taste and have the consistency of meatloaf. Sorry that is not a good burger. Typically, I leave all seasonings out of my burger meat and season only after the patty has been made. There are exceptions of course, one of those being when you combine 2 different meats to create your burger mix. The recipe below is one of those exceptions.

I am a huge burger fan, and although I prefer my burgers simple – topped with ketchup, mustard, onion, and pickle – most of the time, I do also like to experiment with numerous variations. That being the case, I imagine that burgers will make regular appearances here at “Wayward Chef” as I refine some of my favorite recipes.

Southwestern Chorizo Burgers

CORIANDER-CILANTRO MAYO
1/4 bunch Cilantro, stems removed
2 tsp. Coriander Seed, freshly ground
1 cup Mayo

Finely chop the cilantro and mix with the coriander and mayo. Make this a few hours ahead, or the night before to allow the flavors to develop.

PICKLED RED ONIONS
1/2 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 each Red onion

Peel the onions and cut into a julienne 1/4 inch thick. Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the onions, return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow onions to cool in the liquid. When cooled to room temperature store in the refrigerator. This is best made a day or 2 before

BURGERS AND ASSEMBLY
12 oz. Burger Meat 80/20 (the lean to fat ration, most stores now show this on the label
12 oz. Mexican Chorizo
2 each Tomatoes, cored and sliced
4 each Burger Buns
Cilantro-Coriander Mayo
Pickled Red Onions

Light charcoal and allow to burn down until covered with white ash, or pre heat gas grill, on high. Gently but thoroughly combine the burger meat and the chorizo. The key is to not over work the meats, but to gently combine the 2. Form into 4 patties.
Season one side lightly with salt and pepper. Don’t go too heavy as the chorizo is well spiced. Grill over high heat until medium well. This is more done than I usually like my burgers, but with the added chorizo the texture of these burgers cooked less than that is a little soft. Besides the high fat content of the chorizo will keep these burgers plenty moist.

When done allow the burger to drain briefly on paper towel. Place burger on bottom half of bun top with tomato slices, and some of the pickled red onion. Spread a thick portion of the coriander-cilantro mayo over the top half of the bun and place on top.

If you are asking yourself what a Runza is, well, you are not alone. Up until about 1 1/2 years ago I had never heard of them either. At the time, I was helping a couple of guys develop the menu for a sports bar. A gentleman came in hoping to book one of the viewing areas, for his group of Nebraska Huskers alumni, to watch the the Nebraska football games. He also wanted to know if we would be willing to menu Runzas during the games. I had never heard of them before, but I figured with a little research I could come up with the answer and a recipe. A quick search of the Internet provided me with plenty of information and a number of recipes from which I could create my own version of this “sandwich.” I found out that the Runza is dish consisting of dough that is stuffed with a ground meat and cabbage filling and then baked. This stuffing is usually made of beef and cabbage and a good dose of onion for flavoring, but it can also be made with pork and/or sauerkraut. It is of German-Russian origins and is very similar to the many meat stuffed doughs and dumplings of the area. It was brought here to Midwest by German immigrants and has slowly disappeared in most areas. It has remained popular in Nebraska, especially around the University of Nebraska, mostly thanks to a chain of restaurants called “Runza.” Runzas are one of those foods that people seem to become fanatical about and now alumni groups, from Nebraska, spread across the country make their own Runzas to serve during game time. In fact, many alumni view hosting a football viewing party and not serving Runzas as something akin to sacrilege.

I, personally, am not quite so enamoured by Runzas as some alumni are, though I do really like them. There’s just something about baked dough filled with meat that makes my mouth water. It must be my German heritage or something. One of the great things about these is that they freeze beautifully so go ahead and double or triple this recipe. Once made and before the rise and baking, freeze them. To do this I usually freeze them on a cookie tray lined with wax paper. After they are frozen I wrap individually in plastic wrap and stack them in the freezer. To cook them from frozen, remove them from the freezer, allow to come to room temperature and then follow the instructions for rising and baking.

One note about the recipe below: the garlic and the Worcestershire sauce are not traditionally part of the recipe. I find most recipes make a Runza that is a little bland for my taste so I’ve added these ingredients to up the flavor a little bit. If you want something more traditional do without.

Runzas
Makes 8-10

1 pound Ground Beef
1/2 head Cabbage, shredded or grated
1 each Onion, finely diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
Pepper
2 loaves Frozen Bread Dough

Allow bread dough to come to room temperature. Meanwhile make the filling by browning the ground beef along with the garlic and the onions. Season with salt and pepper. When done, drain off the fat and add the cabbage and Worcestershire. Cook until the cabbage is tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. Chill thoroughly before moving to next step. Roll out each bread dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut out rectangles of 4″x8″. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the middle of each dough then fold over the short sides followed by the long sides totally enclosing the filling. Place on a greased tray, seam side down, and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 and bake the runza for approximately 20 minutes or until brown. Allow to cool and rest 5 minutes before serving.