When people talk about hearty foods, they are usually talking about dishes that are particularly dense and comforting. These usually consist of things like lasagna, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and pot pies. And let's not forget chili, which is traditionally thick and chunky.
But when your chili turns out too thin and brothy, it can ruin that warm, soothing feeling that usually comes with sitting down on a cold night with a bowl of chili. Fortunately, you don't have to start a new pot from scratch. Simply sprinkle in some cornmeal or masa harina.
These two corn-based ingredients will absorb excess liquid in the Tex-Mex favorite and add a subtle corn flavor to the mix, which will compliment most chili recipes, from to Texas red ...
just don't break the . Start with a few tablespoons of cornmeal or masa harina for a full pot of chili, which you'll stir in towards the end of the cooking process. Simmer until the chili thickens, and add more if you want a thicker consistency.
There's more than one way to thicken chili While we think cornmeal or masa harina is, arguably, the best way to thicken chili, it certainly isn't the only method that will turn your chili from brothy to bulky. We don't recommend how (he uses instant mashed potato flakes), but you can simply let your pot of chili simmer a bit longer. Remove the lid so that the steam and, thus, excess liquid, escapes.
This will also allow the flavors from your ingredients to concentrate and become more flavorful. If you're us.
