Chili con Carne

*instead of ground beef, I prefer ground turkey,1 cup of water; and I like to add 1 can of chili beans & 1 can of black beans.
tastes great served over rice; with cheese; saltine crackers; or with tortilla chips
recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse/Foodnetwork.com
makes 6-8 servings


1 tablespoon bacon fat or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups water


Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup



Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Cook, stirring, until the meat is brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, Essence, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Put the whole tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and squeeze them with your hands to break them into pieces. Add the squeezed tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, sugar, and water to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the pot from the heat, ladle into a large bowl