Totally Chill Chili for Totally Chill Canucks

An all-Canadian ingredient list adds a Northern touch to this southwest classic

Totally Chill Chili (photo by Michael Hawkins)

Hi everyone! In the spirit of Canada’s Buy Local surge, funky foodie and photojournalist Michael Hawkins brings us his take on one of his favourite cold-weather meals, using Canadian ingredients from Canadian farmers and producers. We’re cookin’ with Canadian pride at Side Walks. Bon Appetit!

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America first, eh?

Think again. When it comes to a classic chili, it’s easy to make it a very Canadian affair, even in the dead of a harsh, great white winter.

Let’s celebrate the dish together as one big tariff-entangled family, shall we? Wave that flag (the Canadian one, try to keep up) as we stew some almost entirely Canuck ingredients into a spicy bowl of goodness.

The beef. This one’s easy. We’ve got a lot of cows and a lot of places that sell neatly-portioned cow parts for your convenience.

The tomatoes. I prefer fresh tomatoes over canned tomatoes any day of the week and markets large and small in the Great White North sell Canadian-grown hot house tomatoes year-round. If you’re one of those people who has their act together and made a whole bunch of tomato sauce and froze it last summer for winter use, you’ve got it made.

The beans. You can certainly do a more authentic no-bean chili but I like some dark red kidney beans in mine. If you’re like me, a huge fan of dried-bean advocacy and marketing, you may already know that Ontario and Manitoba grow a huge surplus of beans. In fact, 80 to 90 per cent of beans grown in Canada are shipped to other markets around the world, according to Ontario Bean Growers (OBG).

The chilies. Again, this is an ingredient grown across Canada, but in a pinch, use any good chili powder and be sure to use more than a pinch. We may be Canadian, but we’re not boring. Drive in a few good squirts of hot sauce too. There are lots of Canadian makers available for hot sauces. Check them out!

Simple Hot Sauce by PEI-based Maritime Madness is a staple at my table. My family particularly likes the Lime + Cilantro flavour. You’ll find Simple Hot Sauce at grocery stores and specialty stores across Canada. (photo by Michael Hawkins)

Totally Chill Chili

2 tablespoons of the finest Saskatchewan prairie canola oil (or whatever you got)

1 lb ground beef

1 proudly Canadian medium onion, chopped fine

Two cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 heaping tablespoon chili powder or ancho powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder (optional, not terribly Canadian, but still nice)

Four large tomatoes, cored and chopped fine

1 cup of water which the U.S.A. apparently covets

1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

As much hot sauce as you like

Canadian sour cream and shredded Canadian cheddar to serve

Heat a stew pot over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the oil, wait a few seconds and add the beef. Break it up and brown it well for three or four minutes.

Add the onion and garlic and stew for a couple more minutes. Add your chopped chillies or chilli powder and cumin powder and stir for a couple more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 90 minutes at least, adding more water as necessary. The longer it simmers, the more the flavours come together.

Season well with salt, pepper and hot sauce, and serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese, courtesy of Canada’s dairy farmers.

Canola oil from Saskatchewan, kidney beans from Manitoba or Ontario, and cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and beef from a local producer in your province or region make this chilli positively patriotic. (photo by Michael Hawkins)