Why I Always Add THIS to a Pot of Chili
Fall is my favorite time of year for cooking. As temperatures drop and summer slips away into fall, I’m in my kitchen getting mega-jazzed to cook things like red lentil soup, pasta fagioli, and no-knead bread. One of my all-time favorite fall kick-off dishes is classic chili. Nothing beats a big pot of chili topped with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and a little cheddar. It’s the perfect transitional meal. It includes staples like beans and beef, but allows you to incorporate the last of summer produce like tomatoes and corn.
For me, I love fresh corn kernels in chili. They add sweetness and texture, but not everyone likes this addition (just try adding corn to the pot of a Texas chili purist). A few years ago I went searching for a way to add the flavor of corn to a pot of chili without making use of actual kernels and I came across a technique that kind of blew me away: stirring a bit of cornmeal right into the chili as it cooks. The addition was an instant hit at my house, and has since become a staple ingredient.
Why You Should Add Cornmeal to Chili
Cornmeal is a perfect add-in to a pot of chili. It adds both body (by helping to thicken the sauce as it cooks with the chili) and gives the chili a backbone of subtle corn flavor. As little as a few tablespoons of cornmeal is all you need to give a batch of chili a little corny boost without adding whole kernels.
Cornmeal vs. Masa Harina
Masa harina is flour made from finely ground hominy or dried corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in limewater (a diluted solution of calcium hydroxide) in a process known as nixtamalization. Masa harina is ground more finely than cornmeal and will cook through more quickly. I tend to use whichever product I have on hand and find them to add a similar amount of corn flavor and body to chili.
How to Add Cornmeal to Chili
I originally picked up this trick from Ree Drummond’s chili recipe, which calls for you to mix 1/2 cup of masa harina or cornmeal with 1/2 cup of water, stir until combined, and then stir the mixture into the chili towards the end of cooking, so it has at least 10 minutes to simmer.
I’ve found that timing to work well for masa harina, but I prefer to let cornmeal — which is more coarsely ground — simmer for longer, about 20 to 30 minutes. I’ve also skipped the water and just sprinkled cornmeal or masa harina into chili on its own. Be warned that while this does still work, it is more likely to clump up this way, so you might have to spend more time stirring with a fork or small whisk to get the cornmeal evenly distributed.
Chili Recipes to Try with Cornmeal
This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: Once The Pioneer Woman Taught Me to Add This to a Pot of Beef Chili, I’ve Never Made It Another Way (So Smart)
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