Chili Wheat Goodness

Over the years my dad has "upgraded" the classic chili wheat recipe my Grandma Hales used to make when my mom was a kid.  This was a staple meal in my home growing up, and for the first time ever I made my own batch of it today (My husband says it's about time, because he always asks for it, but we only ever have it when we're visiting my parents).   

You can change things up by doubling or even tripling the wheat and leave all beans and/or meat from the recipe.

Here is the Official Stuetz Family Chili Wheat Recipe:

Place 4 cups of whole-kernel hard winter wheat (red, white, etc.) in a very large pot.

Add 32 ounces of beef stock and 32 ounces of water and cover pot. (Chicken stock or additional water may be substituted for beef stock.) Boil hard for 1 full hour (not including pre-boiling period) making sure not to run out of liquid and burning it.  This is what it looks like after it's been boiled:

After one full hour of boiling most of the moisture will be absorbed by the wheat kernels. Turn off heat, cover and let sit on the stove for an hour or so. Do not drain excess liquid.

Add a combination of 4-28 ounce cans (quarts) total of tomato sauce and dices tomatoes. Add 1-40.5 ounce can of dark red kidney beans. Add 1-40.5 ounce can of light red kidney beans. Add about the same amount of canned black beans or other favorite canned bean.

(Note: If using dried beans, you must add additional water and boil them with wheat kernels. However, dried beans will likely take longer to get soft.)

Thicken with tomato paste (start with 2-12 ounce cans) to desired viscosity.

Add 4 McCormick “Chili Seasoning” packets (either hot, mild or combination).

Fry 3-4 lbs. of lightly seasoned (salt & pepper) ground beef, pork or turkey – a combination works well too (I did ground turkey and pork in this batch). Drain fat and add to pot once cooked through and slightly browned.

Stir well, cover and simmer on lowest possible heat for an hour or two. Stir somewhat regularly as this stuff will burn on the bottom. Simmer, simmer, simmer controlling viscosity by adding additional tomato sauce or water . . . stir, stir, stir.

This recipe yields 10-11 quarts. (I halved the recipe and it still made a ton.) It freezes really well and may be pressure canned in quart jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure with full 1 inch of head room in jars.

 

(My hubby also likes to add sour cream and cheese to the finished product)

It looks like we'll be enjoying Chili Wheat for dinner this evening.....yum!