apache chilli

annie here is an Apache and I bet you didn't think that apaches were this tasty. Obviously Chilli is not really an apache dish but it was eaten all the time in the South west of america where Mexicans and europeans fought the Real americans

The Apache did not farm. They lived on a variety of wild plants. The women gathered the plants. Favorites were the yucca and mescal plants. The women harvested the yucca plant in the spring and they gathered the mescal plant in late spring. The mescal plant was a large leafed plant that grew in the shape of a cabbage head and tasted like squash. The women steamed many plants in a deep pit that was filled with stone. A fire was built in a pit lined with stones. Then when extremely hot the fire was allowed to burn down. Next yucca and mescal plants were piled on the hot stones then covered with wet grass. The plants were left for much of the day. Some to the steamed food was dried for the cold season. The Apache also ate arrowhead, wild onions, and berries. The berries were pounded into small cakes and dried in the sun. The Apache gathered many kinds of nuts. A favorite nut was the pinion. The Apache buried their food for the winter. The men spent most of their time hunting deer, antelope, elk, and sometimes buffalo. They also ate prairie dogs, squirrels, and rabbits. The Apache would not touch fish or any animal that lived in the water. Before horses in the 1700’s the men hunted on foot.The Apache did not farm. They lived on a variety of wild plants. The women gathered the plants. Favorites were the yucca and mescal plants. The women harvested the yucca plant in the spring and they gathered the mescal plant in late spring. The mescal plant was a large leafed plant that grew in the shape of a cabbage head and tasted like squash. The women steamed many plants in a deep pit that was filled with stone. A fire was built in a pit lined with stones. Then when extremely hot the fire was allowed to burn down. Next yucca and mescal plants were piled on the hot stones then covered with wet grass. The plants were left for much of the day. Some to the steamed food was dried for the cold season. The Apache also ate arrowhead, wild onions, and berries. The berries were pounded into small cakes and dried in the sun. The Apache gathered many kinds of nuts. A favorite nut was the pinion. The Apache buried their food for the winter. The men spent most of their time hunting deer, antelope, elk, and sometimes buffalo. They also ate prairie dogs, squirrels, and rabbits. The Apache would not touch fish or any animal that lived in the water. Before horses in the 1700’s the men hunted on foot.  

dark chocolate (yes, you did read correctly - chocolate is a traditional Mexican ingredient) smoked chillies and rich tomatoes to give a truly pussyfying  dish just like apache annie here. I have found that this pleases everyone, even Russians. Of course, you can adjust the chillies according to taste. This will feed about 6 people. I think this recipe is fairly straightforward and the preparation takes no time at all ( about 20 minutes - cooking time is about 1 hour for a fuller flavour) As an alternative to rice, it is also delicious with garlic bread. (Yum... just thinking about it makes me hungry!!) 

A word about some of the ingredients...

Dark chocolate - the best to use is a chocolate which is high in cocoa solids (75%). If you can't find this, any dark chocolate will do.

Chipotle chillies - These are quite hot smoked red chillies and give a wonderful barbecue taste to the dish whilst adding an authentic Mexican touch. I ordered these off the website: www.coolchile.co.uk and although they may seem expensive (from memory about £4 for a bag of 25?), they go a long way and add another dimension to spicy dishes. To prepare them, you need to soak them in hot water for a few minutes to make them softer, then you can chop them.

Anyway, here goes...

APACHE CHILLI

Ingredients.

2tbsp oil
1lb (500g) lamb or beef mince or Bison
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tsp cumin
2tsp paprika
1 can plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 can kidney beans
1 medium chipotle chilli chopped finely, or 1 small fresh green chilli
2 small pieces of dark chocolate (about 15g)
1 tsp dried/fresh oregano
100ml red wine
2tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt, pepper
to taste

Method

1) Heat oil and fry onion and garlic until slightly browned.

2) Add the cumin and paprika and coat the onions. Cook until fragrant.

3) Add the mince and brown for about 5 mins.

4) Add the plum tomatoes (and mash them down with the wooden spoon),puree and kidney beans.

5) Add the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered on a low fire (Gas Mark 2-3) for about 1 hour until thickened and a rich deep red in colour. Stir frequently so that it doesn't get stuck to the pan.

6) Serve with rice or garlic bread and ENJOY...