It's official. We will be cooking with CHOCOLATE this month! Jeri made a great suggestion to make a savory dish instead of a dessert--and I completely agree! She noted that it will be more of a challenge and it is certainly a good time to experiment. It will be at Heather's house on Tuesday, February 12th at 7:30pm.
bethany: San Francisco Double-Chocolate Hot Chocolate
erika: Sweet Hazelnut Fettuccini
jenny: Panini with chocolate and Brie
jeri: Kabobs with Spiced Cocoa Dry Rub
sarah: Beef Chili with Red Beans and Chocolate
San Francisco Double-Chocolate Hot Chocolate
1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
1 ½ cup whole milk
11 oz. chopped dark chocolate
5 oz. chopped milk chocolate
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Panini with chocolate and Brie
12 slices sourdough bread
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Preheat the panini grill.
Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the panini grill and place 2 ounces of cheese on 1 slice of bread (the bottom half), top the cheese with 1/3 cup chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with the remaining sandwiches. Return the sandwiches to the panini grill until the chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.
Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to a serving platter.
Beef Chili with Red Beans and Chocolate
3 pounds beef shoulder, cut in large cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, halved
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup Ancho Chili Powder, recipe follows
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon grated unsweetened chocolate
3 cups shredded white Cheddar, for serving
16 saltine crackers, for serving
Making chili is nothing more than mounting layers of flavor and letting them all simmer together. Get in the habit of tasting recipes in stages; this way if something is not quite right, adjustments can be made on the spot.
Season the beef shoulder all over with salt and pepper then put it in a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, about 3 quarts, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Mix in the onions, garlic, chipotles, and jalapeno. Stir in the Ancho Chile Powder. Pour the entire can of tomatoes, with the liquid, into a bowl and hand-crush until chunky; add the crushed tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste. Simmer until the meat is fork tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water if necessary. After the chili has cooked a couple of hours, take a wooden spoon and beat it vigorously so the meat shreds apart.
Add the next layer of flavor by stirring in the beans and cornmeal. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Partially cover the pot so the steam does not get trapped under the lid and drip down into the chili making it watery. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the grated chocolate. Garnish each serving with shredded Cheddar and saltine crackers.
Ancho Chili Powder:
3 ancho chiles, seeded and hand-torn into pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
This homemade chili powder will add a smoky depth to chili and as a dry rub for steaks. Toast the ancho chile pieces over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant, shaking the pan so they don't scorch. Put the chiles in a mini food processor and pulse to a powder. Add the remaining ingredients and buzz again to combine.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, halved
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup Ancho Chili Powder, recipe follows
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon grated unsweetened chocolate
3 cups shredded white Cheddar, for serving
16 saltine crackers, for serving
Making chili is nothing more than mounting layers of flavor and letting them all simmer together. Get in the habit of tasting recipes in stages; this way if something is not quite right, adjustments can be made on the spot.
Season the beef shoulder all over with salt and pepper then put it in a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, about 3 quarts, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Mix in the onions, garlic, chipotles, and jalapeno. Stir in the Ancho Chile Powder. Pour the entire can of tomatoes, with the liquid, into a bowl and hand-crush until chunky; add the crushed tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste. Simmer until the meat is fork tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water if necessary. After the chili has cooked a couple of hours, take a wooden spoon and beat it vigorously so the meat shreds apart.
Add the next layer of flavor by stirring in the beans and cornmeal. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Partially cover the pot so the steam does not get trapped under the lid and drip down into the chili making it watery. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the grated chocolate. Garnish each serving with shredded Cheddar and saltine crackers.
Ancho Chili Powder:
3 ancho chiles, seeded and hand-torn into pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
This homemade chili powder will add a smoky depth to chili and as a dry rub for steaks. Toast the ancho chile pieces over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant, shaking the pan so they don't scorch. Put the chiles in a mini food processor and pulse to a powder. Add the remaining ingredients and buzz again to combine.
5 comments:
I found some meat rubs that used chocolate and there's always Chicken mole for savory. I just found this hot chocolate recipe and thought, "If it's chocolate we want, then CHOCOLATE is what we'll get." Why not go as chocolatey as possible? I can't wait to see what everyone else come up with (can you tell I'm excited)?
Sadly...I can't make it!! I am so sad that I have to miss chocolate night!!
Are we going to have like a salad or something on the side so it isn't richness everywhere? or is that the idea? :)
I will bring a salad if no one is making a veg. I was just thinking about that as I looked over the menu.
Bethany, I am dying to get your double-chocolate hot chocolate recipe! And I am totally offended that nobody has asked for my recipe! Rude!
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