QUESTAR Communications Ltd: Providing a complete range of marketing support services - from brand development, corporate identity and literature production to advertising and integrated marketing campaigns throughout South Yorkshire.
Some like it hot! Our recipe for success...
At Questar, we throw in the right ingredients from the marketing mix to create a recipe for success for our clients.
And, as you may have noticed, we are partial to a chilli!
So, here's our take on a great dish - perfect to serve to friends for a casual get-together. Try it - you'll like it
Serves 4
1 tbsp oil
1 large onion
1 red pepper
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
500g lean minced beef
1 beef stock cube
400g can chopped tomatoes
dried marjoram
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato purée
410g can red kidney beans
soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice, to serve
1. Prepare the vegetables.
Chop the onion into small dice, about 5mm square. Cut the pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop.
2. Start cooking.
Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob). Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, chilli, paprika and cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Brown the mince.
Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with a spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown.
4. Making the sauce.
Crumble the stock cube into 300ml / ½ pint of hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Add the can of chopped tomatoes. Tip in the marjoram and the sugar, if using (see tip below), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp of tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
5. Simmer gently.
Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan or isn't drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
6. Bring on the beans!
Drain and rinse the beans in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle.
TIPS
A Mexican twist
Rather than add the teaspoon of sugar, you can stir in a small piece of chocolate (about the size of your thumbnail) when you add the beans. Any plain dark chocolate will do. Be careful not to add too much - you don't want to be able to identify the flavour of the chocolate.
Other ways to enjoy chilli
Serve it on a bed of plain, boiled rice, with a spoonful of soured cream on top. Pile it on tortilla chips and sprinkle it with grated cheddar. Wrap it up in a tortilla with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and guacamole for a great burrito.