which one?

pressure cooker one

do you have a pressure cooker to do it? its not necessary, just curious.

i've done it two ways. one with masa harina and the other with just regular xanthan gum. i didn't think the masa harina thickened up the chili nearly enough for my liking, but i also didn't let it simmer for a very long time either. xanthan gum returns nearly instant results for me. the masa harina does add some flavor to it though. fish sauce is key

secured fish sauce.

i have a pressure cooker, never used it. no idea really how to either, but i want to try.

good tip on the masa. that was the only thing i wasnt sure on. someone suggested cornmeal to replace it.

yeah, you can go cornmeal(which is basically masa), corn starch slurry, xanthan gum and i'm sure a few other ways.

if you start in the morning then you should be well to go by 3. i've made this during parties and not really had an issue.

like i said, i would definitely suggest some cornbread to put on the bottom. get a box of the blue(jiffy) and just spoon the chili over it. even if its not allowed in your comp it'll be good for when all of the tastings are done and people wanna munch.

i'm not really sure where you can grab the chilis. if you wanna make a trek from the stadiums you can pop in at the grocer at 9th and washington(next to veracruzana in the same parking lot). thats where i got all of mine. i struck out finding them just about everywhere else(including most other mexican grocers). i also did the microwave method for the chili's.

thanks jtk


have you ever made it w/o all of them? any tips on what are the absolute musts to have in there?

nah, i've only made with all of the peppers. i would probably do the same, too. if you go a different route for finding the peppers then i'd just grab what you can. think the most important thing is just that you use dried chilis and rehydrate them instead of using powders.

Make sure you include the chipotle, as that (plus the adobo sauce it's canned in) will add a smoky flavor you're not getting from any of the other peppers. That's probably the easiest of the peppers to find though.

I wouldn't obsess over the specific peppers otherwise. There obviously is flavor variation from one to the next but I think in the context of a chili with lots of other flavors, only the superest of supertasters would notice the difference if you used all different peppers than the recipe called for.

My wife picked this recipe out for me to try: easy asian orange chicken

First off, this was delicious, and I will definitely make it again. But...

A recipe that involves deep frying isn't "Easy", pretty much by definition. Not that deep frying is difficult, but it requires a thermometer to know when the oil is hot enough, it's messy because of spatter, and there's a lot of oil to dispose of afterwards. Not to mention that cooking in batches increases cooking time and you have to do something with the first batch to keep it warm while the second is frying.

Also, the way this is written would be a TON of sauce for 2 lbs of chicken. I used about 3.5 lbs of chicken, made the sauce recipe as written (almost) and have sauce left over. And with a full cup of sugar this would be way too sweet, for me at least. I halved it and it was plenty sweet enough.

Third, the way that the recipe lists "1 ½ cups orange juice and zest from one orange" is confusing. At first I was like, "where on earth are you getting oranges that have a cup and a half of juice in them?" Then I realized it meant that the orange juice and zest are separate ingredients -- they really should be listed separately. I ended up juicing four oranges to get 1.5 cups of juice, and I put in the zest from all of them. I used two tbsp of cornstarch rather than three and the sauce was quick thick.

The sauce was terrific in the end, and the chicken (I used thighs instead of breasts by the way) was great, juicy inside and crispy outside.

Here's my adjusted recipe (scaled back for 2 lbs chicken):

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, breasts or thighs as you prefer, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Oil for frying

Juice and zest of two oranges
3 tbsp rice or cider vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated or minced ginger root
1/2 tsp grated or minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

Preheat oil (you'll want at least a half-inch of oil in the bottom of the vessel) in a deep fryer or a large, heavy pot (an enameled cast iron dutch oven is ideal) to 375F. Combine flour, salt and pepper and place in a large ziploc bag. Preheat oven to 200F.

Toss chicken chunks with the beaten egg, then add to the bag with the flour mixture. Seal and shake well to coat all chicken pieces thoroughly.

Remove chicken chunks from bag. Add to hot oil in batches (don't crowd it, as it will drop the temperature too much so the breading won't get as crispy and it will spatter more) and cook, stirring once or twice, until golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes. Place cooked chicken pieces on a baking sheet covered with foil and place in the oven to keep warm.

While chicken is frying, combine remaining ingredients except cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a high simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has begun to thicken somewhat. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water and add to the saucepan, stirring to combine. Let simmer a few more minutes until it's thickened.

Drizzle chicken with sauce to taste and serve with steamed white rice or whatever you like. You should have sauce leftover for the rice if you want.

there isn't many 'asian' recipes that are easy. its annoying when i see that. i mean, you can throw some veggies in a pan with some protein and make a stir fry. but most 'good' recipes are way to involved to ever be easy.

last time i made dumplings took for everrrrrr. the dan dan noodles took like 5 different preps.

I'm finished but it is pure liquid. Put some flour in it to thicken it. Not doing much. Could not find xanthan or masa.

Simmer it uncovered on the stove for a while

ended up running out and getting masa. huge difference. will make it easier next time i make it. ended up stirring it a lot more than i should have so the meat fell apart too much.

i didnt even place. thought i wasnt going to care then when i didnt win i got kind of mad.

this one that was basically all corn did. i thought the meat in it was pretty dry and didnt even have it in my top three. i got a lot of compliments but i guess when it isnt loaded down with beans and corn people dont get it. hell the third place one was basically bbq pulled short rib.

having some of the left overs today and gonna love it.

thanks jtk and everyone for the help.

can i have some

probably only one serving left and that is lunch tomorrow.

i have all the ingredients outside the meat so i may make another batch this coming weekend.

That blows. I kinda love it because it doesn't have beans and corn. Has some incredible flavors going on. Leftovers will be special

jamiethekiller wrote:That blows. I kinda love it because it doesn't have beans and corn. Has some incredible flavors going on. Leftovers will be special

dude, yes.

its sweet and fruity at the start and finishes with a little heat. just really complex stuff going on. the cinnamon is a great taste in it too.

Oh yeah. Pressure cookers rule, right?

you people are going to make me get a pressure cooker just for this chili

Man. They're great for everything. Chili, soups, stocks, rice and everything else. Most come with slow cooker options too.