Sebastian Lege's
Chili con Carnage
Chili con carne is one of the most popular dishes in Germany. This stew is a must at any good party. There are countless variations: hot, savory, fruity. But what really matters? Which meat, which bean, which side dish is best?
Popular product developer and food expert Sebastian Lege is on the trail of this secret in his show "Lege kommt auf den Geschmack". Even a huge chili con carne fan, the tinkerer finds something to complain about with almost every chili. Will he ultimately be satisfied with his work? The ambitious flavor optimizer is confident. His challenge is clear: "I make the perfect chili con carne. Period."
For this difficult challenge, he's looked into many pots and pans. Among other things, he visits a restaurant that serves exclusively chili con carne, stops by a chili farm in the Netherlands where pods are grown as far as the eye can see, and shivered at minus 18 degrees Celsius in the cold storage of a bean genetic database to sample long-forgotten varieties. But the topping also has to be perfect. He gets his inspiration from a dairy. So the inventor leaves nothing to chance.
Last but not least, Sebastian Lege conducted a large survey of over 1,000 people asking them what Germans prefer to make chili con carne. He tries to incorporate the sometimes surprising results into his recipes.
The product developer ultimately takes all of this back to his laying lab, where he tinkers and experiments with a lot of fuss, homemade equipment, safety goggles, Bunsen burners, and often unusual laying methods. Sometimes the flesh is even cooked inside the pineapple - all for the perfect flavor.
What will the critical jury decide? Eight selected experts, including culinary instructors, restaurant owners, and chili and bean experts, will vote in three categories: appearance, consistency, and taste. Only if Sebastian Lege receives a two-thirds majority - that is, 16 out of 24 votes - will he win the challenge.
The recipe
Introduction
Chili con Carne is a classic – but Sebastian Lege’s takes it to pure culinary heights.
In his chili episode of “Lege kommt auf den Geschmack”, he shows what happens when you rethink the dish:
Five different meats, real smoke fire and a depth of flavor reminiscent of BBQ, umami and espresso.
The result: Chili con Carnage – strong, spicy, wild.
Ingredients (for approx. 8 servings)
Meat Madness
• 1 kg US Chuck Roll (minced as mince)
• 200 g beef jerky (for the umami punch)
• 1 beef cheek, cured and cooked, cut into cubes
• 1 beef tongue, cured and cooked, cut into cubes
• 1 cooked oxtail
Flavor Gang
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp paprika paste
• 500 ml strong stout beer
• 1 double espresso
• 1 l clarified tomato stock
• 1 l dark tomato and meat jus
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• Tex-Mex spice mix of coriander seeds, cumin and pepper (freshly ground)
• Smoked, soaked and deseeded chilies
• 1 tbsp doenjang (fermented chili bean paste)
Extra Flavor
• 500 g soaked and cooked beans
• 1 l oxtail stock
Preparation
Light a fire
• Heat the Dutch oven over an open flame.
Meat Action
• Brown the minced meat in a top heat grill at 800°C – crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
• Cook beef cheek and tongue in a hollowed-out pineapple over a fire with pepper, garlic and bay leaves, then dice.
• Braise oxtail with onions, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Reserve the broth.
Flavor base
• Sauté onions and garlic.
• Briefly roast the tomato paste and paprika paste.
• Deglaze with stout beer and add espresso.
• Stir in chilies and doenjang.
Liquid happiness
• Add tomato stock, meat jus and oxtail broth.
• Stir in spices and oregano.
Big Mix
• Combine meat and beans.
• Simmer slowly until the chili is thick and strong.
Serving ideas
• With jalapeño cheddar corn pops as a crispy topping
• Served with a crispy corn waffle
• Ice-cold craft beer
As a topping for Chili con Carnage
Salsa Verde – The Green Fire
Tomatillo • Jalapeño • Charcoal Smoke
• A green salsa with character – fresh, sour and smoky.
• Perfect as a contrast to strong chili or as a dip for tacos and nachos
• 1 kg green tomatillos
• 5 shallots
• 3 green jalapeños
• 2 Lemon Habaneros
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 150 ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper
Preparation
• 1 glowing piece of charcoal (for the smoky flavor)
• Roast the tomatillos, shallots, jalapeños, habaneros and garlic until they have a strong roasted aroma.
• Chop coarsely or blend in a blender, then pass through a sieve.
• Season with salt, pepper and olive oil.
• For the smoky flavor, light the charcoal, place it in the salsa and cover.
As a topping for Chili con Carnage
Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Pops
Golden yellow, crispy, spicy as hell
These little crunchy balls are the perfect topping for chili or just for snacking.
Corn, cheese and jalapeños – you can’t get more crunch than that.
For approx. 4 servings
• 100 ml buttermilk
• 210 g warm water
• 2 eggs
• 100 g fine corn flour
• 100 g ground crispy corn
• 80 g wheat flour (type 550)
• ½ packet of baking powder
• 1 tsp spice mix (e.g. chili, lime, sumac)
• 1 green jalapeño, finely diced
• 10 g salt
• 100 g pureed corn kernels
• 1 pinch of baking soda
• 100 g coarse polenta
• 80-100g Cheddar, diced
Preparation
• Mix liquid ingredients, then stir in dry ingredients.
• Fold in jalapeño, corn and cheese.
• Heat oil to 160 °C, form small balls and fry until golden brown.
As an umami booster in Chili con Carnage
Chili Bean Paste – Tex Mex Doenjang
Smoked • Fermented • Umami Bomb
A fermented chili bean paste with koji – the secret heart of many Tex-Mex dishes.
Adds depth, umami and spiciness.
• 1 kg mixed chilies (habaneros, ancho, pepperoni)
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp green peppercorns
• 1 tbsp dried garlic
• 100 g coarse sea salt
• 50 g brown rock sugar
• 25 g dried red onion
• 1 tsp mushroom ferment
• 1 tsp red rice powder
• 50 ml alcohol (50%)
• 250 g fermented, smoked white beans (with koji)
• 50 ml linseed oil
• 200 ml rapeseed oil
Preparation
• Chop chilies, roast spices.
• Mix everything with garlic, salt, sugar and ferments.
• Add koji beans and oils, puree coarsely.
• Bottle and let ferment for 3 months at room temperature (always covered with oil).
matching
Cornstar Waffle
Buttermilk • Cornflour • Roasted corn • Crunch
The perfect accompaniment to chili: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with a subtle hint of corn.
• 397 g buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 85 g melted butter
• 177 g wheat flour (type 550)
• 138 g corn flour
• 25 g sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 g dry yeast
• 3–4 tbsp roasted, finely ground corn kernels
Preparation
• Finely grind roasted corn.
• Mix buttermilk, eggs and butter.
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, yeast, and corn flour.
• Mix everything into a smooth dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Bake in a hot waffle iron until golden brown.