Chili Con Carne

To ensure the best chile flavor, I recommend toasting whole dried chiles and grinding them in a mini-chopper or spice-dedicated coffee grinder, all of which takes only ten (very well-spent) minutes. Select dried chiles that are moist and pliant, like dried fruit. Count on trimming one-half to a full pound of waste from your chuck roast, so start with a four-pound roast to end up with three to three-and-a-half pounds of beef cubes. For hotter chili, boost the heat with a pinch of cayenne, a dash of hot pepper sauce, or crumbled pequin chiles near the end of cooking. Serve the chili with any of the following side dishes: warm pinto or kidney beans, corn bread or chips, corn tortillas or tamales, rice, biscuits, or just plain crackers, and top with any of the following garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro leaves, minced white onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, or sour cream.
Ingredients
3     tablespoons ancho chili powder or 3 medium pods (about 1/2 ounce), toasted and ground (see illustrations below)
3     tablespoons New Mexico chili powder or 3 medium pods (about 3/4 ounce), toasted and ground
2     tablespoons cumin seeds , toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes, and ground
2     teaspoons dried oregano , preferably Mexican
7 1/2     cups water , divided
1     beef chuck roast (4-pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2     teaspoons table salt , plus extra for seasoning
8     ounces bacon (7 or 8 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1     medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
5     medium cloves garlic , minced
4 – 5     small jalapeño chiles , cored, seeded, and minced
1     cup crushed tomatoes (canned), or plain tomato sauce
2     tablespoons lime juice from 1 medium lime
5     tablespoons masa harina or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Ground black pepper
Instructions

1. Mix chili powders, cumin, and oregano in small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup water to form thick paste; set aside. Toss beef cubes with salt; set aside.

2. Fry bacon in large, heavy soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; pour all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot into small bowl; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté meat in four batches until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding additional 2 teaspoons bacon fat to pot as necessary. Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tablespoons bacon fat to now-empty pan. Add onion; sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chili paste; sauté until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved bacon and browned beef, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, lime juice, and 7 cups water; bring to simmer. Continue to cook at a steady simmer until meat is tender and juices are dark, rich, and starting to thicken, about 2 hours.
3. Mix masa harina with 2/3 cup water (or cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl to form smooth paste. Increase heat to medium; stir in paste and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning generously with salt and ground black pepper. Serve immediately, or preferably, cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.

Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion , minced
Table salt
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch lengths
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 additional tablespoons
Ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions:
1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.

Liptauer Cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
½ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 baguette, thinly sliced and toasted.

Directions:
1. With the back of a spoon, press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl.

2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter on medium speed. Beat in the cottage cheese, paprika, a generous grinding of black pepper, the salt, caraway seeds, mustard, capers, onion and sour cream until it forms a smooth paste.

3. Spoon it into a 1 ½ -cup bowl lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set. Unmold onto a platter and sprinkle with chives. Serve with baguette slices or crackers. Makes 1 ½ cups.

NOTE: To make a Liptauer dip, stir an extra ¼ cup sour cream into the paste. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives. Serve with crudités.

Serves 8.

Transylvanian Goulash

1 pound sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged (note: a 1-pound jar of sauerkraut weighs far less when drained)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon chopped garlic
Salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
3 cups chicken broth
2 ½ to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds
¼ cup tomato purée

1. Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Strain well, pressing out all the water.

2. Melt the butter in a 5-quart casserole and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in the paprika, pour in ½ cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork cubes.

3. Spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato purée and the rest of the broth and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point. Season the cooking liquid with a pinch of salt, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if needed; the sauerkraut should be moist.

4. When the pork is tender, combine the creams in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the creams with a whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve in large, wide bowls, accompanied by a side of sour cream. Serves 4. Recipes adapted from “The Cooking of Vienna’s Empire,” by Joseph Wechsberg, part of the Time-Life Foods of the World series.