Food - Drink
The Ingredient You Need For Thicker, More Flavorful Chili
By NATASHA BAILEY
As summer ends and bouts of cold weather settle in, nothing warms you up better than the combination of spices, hearty meats and veggies that come with a bowl of chili. As a base mix of various beans, beef and spices in a tomato base with cheese on top, there are a number of ways to prepare your chili, but none of them should be watery.
By adding masa harina, or corn flour, which is generally used to make tamales, masa cakes, and tortillas, to your chili recipe, you may easily avoid your chili from being unsatisfyingly thin. This process is pre-colonial and essentially turns dried corn into a nutritional powder with the addition of calcium hydroxide.
Maseca, commonly sold in big-box stores and Latin marketplaces, is a brand of masa harina and is perfect to use as a thickener for your chili while also adding a subtle flavor to your dish. All you have to do is add it to equal parts water, stir the mix into your pot, and before you know it you have a perfectly thick product!