Chili meat

[rHairing]

Hey All,

I have recently discovered to joys of crockpot cooking and I'm trying to build a healthy recipe file. I want to make chili this weekend. I will be using beef but the question is what kind? I'd like something lean that after 8 hours will shred. London broil? What do you use?

[ChiliDude]

I know that this post is a little late, but I will stick my 2 cents anyway. Chili is traditionally made with less expensive meats. I do not use ground meat...I use chunks or cubed beef or pork which ever is on sale. London broil to me is flank steak, but there are other cuts to which that designation is made. I use bottom round, top round, eye roast of beef. I use boneless country ribs, pork loin, or whatever boneless pork is on sale.

Altho I like beans, I NEVER use beans as a chili ingredient. I grow my own chiles (hot peppers) or buy fresh ones at a store that caters to a Hispanic customer base.

If you wish more information, access http://www.texascooking.com/

[mucho gordo]

Boneless chuck, fer sure. The fattiest hunk you can find. I tell the butcher I'm making chili and have him cut it into small, stew meat sized cubes. No crock pot, tho. I brown the meat in a frying pan then finish it off by letting it simmer in the chili pot.

[carbonaraboy]

The chili cook-off crowd prefers tri-tip because it's flavorful and non-fatty, because the judges ding you for greasiness and they don't have time to cool and skim. I use this now and really like it.

[Terrie H.]

My favorite meat for chili is from the chuck, and more specifically from the 7-bone cut. I cube it in 1/2" pieces to brown first and I include the bone in the simmer. It is worth the extra time for a great bowl of chili.

[acgold7]

Chuck. Coarsely ground or chopped or cubed. If you want it shredded it's not chili, it's ropa vieja.

Also, London Broil isn't a cut, it's a method of prep. In many places, London Broil means Flank Steak, while in others, it means Top Round. They're completely different from one another. You could use either for chili, I suppose. Flank will shred more easily. Top Round will be drier.

[mels]

Lean = dry in the crockpot. If you are cooking low and slow for 8 hours, you need a cheap cut with lots of connective tissue- chuck would be a great choice. If you insist on lean meat, use lean ground beef. If it is crumbled fine enough you probably won't notice the dryness.