AUTUMN FOOTBALL FARE

October brings our best weather to the SF Bay Area, as any good Californian knows. The days are usually bright and sunny, and then our wonderful fog creeps under the Golden Gate Bridge and brings cooling relief to the many microclimates adjacent to the Bay. It’s great hiking or cycling weather, or for visiting with friends and watching Saturday college football and Sunday NFL games.

This is a great chili recipe that is easy to make, fragrant while simmering away, and yummy as a good mid afternoon or early evening lunch or dinner.

Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

(Serves 6)

• 2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 carrots, small dice
• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, ground coarse or 3 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon crumbled dry oregano
• Dried red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce or 2 cups fresh tomato sauce or tomato puree
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups or 1 19-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped

In a large pot (I used a 5-quart, and just fit it all), heat the oil over moderately low heat and cook the onions in it for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for one minute more. Raise the heat to medium and add the beef, stirring and breaking up any lumps until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth and vinegar and simmer the chili, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes (if you used ground beef) or 50 to 60 minutes (if you used coarse chuck). Add the kidney beans, bell peppers, salt (I used 2 teaspoons to get the seasoning right for my tastes) and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a very well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased (or parchment-lined, if your baking sheets are as “weathered” as mine are) for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994