Two-Meat Chili with Scallion Cornbread — The Weekender

By: Marisa McClellan
Two Meat Chili with Scallion Cornbread - The Weekender

One of the things I've learned in my years as a home cook is that you can never have too many reliable chili recipes. When I'm cooking for my sister, I go with a recipe for white turkey chili. Whenever my husband does a low-carb stint, my go-to is a batch made with ground beef and lots of vegetables. And when the weather turns frigid (like it has this week), I need a meaty, rich version that will keep us warm and comforted.

One such hearty recipe is Nancy Fuller's Two-Meat Chili. Served with her Scallion Cornbread, it's a good meal for days when the mercury drops. You start by crisping a few strips of minced bacon. Once it's brown and rendered, you pull out the bacon to use in the cornbread. Then you brown your onions and peppers in all that good bacon fat. After that, the spices, tomatoes, beef, pork, beans and broth join the party.

It simmers for nearly an hour, until it has thickened and filled your house with the heady scent of meat, peppers and spices. Topped with shredded cheese and sour cream, it is the perfect thing for parties, tailgates and your next Weekender.

Scallion Cornbread

Before you start cooking, read these tips:

— If you find that your chili isn't thickening up as much as you’d like, stir in a few tablespoons of cornmeal. It will absorb the extra liquid and make your chili satisfyingly sturdy.

— Make sure to salt your chili generously. It needs a goodly amount of salt to bring out the flavor of the spices.

— If you're cooking for a party, simmer the chili up the day before, stash it in the fridge and reheat just before serving. The overnight rest will help the flavors marry and deepen.

Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her food (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars. Her first cookbook, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round, is now available.

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