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https://preview.redd.it/5qwe7ej2znsb1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bfa3cd5a2bd4cc6ca1864decdcd3f7f62dbc3e2

I made Kenji's Best Chili Ever recipe today, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Not what I expected! My old standby that I've been making for years is similar in many ways, so I expected that this would be an experiment using some of Kenji's innovative ingredients. I followed the recipe pretty closely until I realized that the flavor I'd created was surprising, and this pot may need rescuing.

So what happened? I went out and rounded up all the unusual ingredients described as bitter and umami bombs, which I had not been using. Anise, cloves, marmite, coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and anchovy to be precise. I ground and added them to the blender slurry with the cooked peppers (poblano, Anaheim, jalapeño, birdseye). If I was overly enthusiastic with amounts it wasn't by much.

I ended up adding more onions and tomatoes, and cooked it a full 4 hours to see if it would mellow out. It did, some. Still a very different flavor profile than mine and several other excellent recipes that I'm familiar with. Not a bust, not at all — I'm on my second bowl as I write this. Topped with scallions, sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips (I'm usually minimalist on toppings).

So my advice for anyone else who's tempted to try this... halve the amounts on those innovative flavorings, and maybe don't go all-in on the first try. Use three onions, and two cans of tomatoes (they're under-represented in the recipe, imho). Don't put all of the peppers into the slurry — having a bit of texture would be good. My next try will be a hybrid between this and my old standby.

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chili-recipe