Now that we’ve broken out the sweaters and jackets (well, OK, some of us have), it’s time to think about hearty dishes like chili to keep us warm. You may already have a go to chili recipe, but if not, the folks at Tortilla Flat, a historic restaurant on the Apache Trail just northeast of Mesa, have shared their “Killer Chili” recipe.
The directions are pretty straightforward, but the secret to this robust chili is in the seasonings, which are proprietary, says Tortilla Flat’s COO Chris Field. “We can’t give our exact mix – that’s a secret we had to buy the town (Tortilla Flat) to find out. It’s a 100-year secret,” he says. “However, if you aren’t using our Tortilla Flat Killer Chili Spice Pac, we recommend experimenting with your mix of spices to get the perfect blend.”
A hot tip from Field: “You can always add spice, but you can’t remove it, so add a little and work your way up.”
Tortilla Flat Killer Chili Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs. beef
1 hot yellow pepper (Caribe pepper)
2 long green chilis (Anaheim or wax pepper)
3 serrano chilis
1 large onion
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large can ranch style beans
1 Tortilla Flat Killer Chili Spice Pac* (specialty blend of garlic powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, cayenne, onion salt and chili pepper)
* Available at Tortilla Flat or can be ordered by emailing info@tortillaflataz.com
Preparation
Brown beef and pour off grease. Add tomatoes, diced chili and Tortilla Flat Chili Spice Pac. Cook until chilies are tender. Then, add beans, turn down the heat and let simmer from 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Leftovers can be frozen for the future.
