Food From My Friend: Uncle Ken's Chili

Like many local families, my family is blessed with a number of dear friends that we've grown up with and stayed close to; people who are so interwoven into our community that we don't often remember, or care, that they aren't related by blood. The Watanabe family is exactly that.

Mom and Aunty Carol were classmates at Farrington High School. They moved to California separately but, as Mom put it, "We found each other again up there. You know Hawaii people. We congregate." That "congregating" led to matrimony for Mom and Dad, as well as Aunty Carol and Maui boy, Uncle Ken. Each couple had three children and we saw each other frequently; especially after Dad died. Mom said Uncle and Aunty "went out of their way" to make sure we were ok.

Our family's move back to Hawaii did not lessen that connection. Both my sister and brother eventually moved back to California and shared many a meal and holiday celebration with the family that now included spouses and grandchildren. As the only child who opted to stay in Hawaii, I often envied the fun they all had together and the opportunity my siblings had to develop a relationship with Aunty and Uncle on an adult level. Delicious food in generous amounts was a mainstay of any Watanabe gathering and for many years, the one dish I heard about repeatedly was Uncle Ken's chili.

Ever since the stay-at-home orders were issued in our respective states, my siblings and I have been using Zoom to chat every Sunday morning. We often talk about food. Maybe it's a Hawaii thing. Maybe it's genetic. We just all love to eat and we all enjoy cooking. Once again, Uncle Ken's chili came up and this time, my brother whipped out his phone and sent me the recipe. So basically, he'd had it readily available for a few years and never sent it to me--even though we had discussed it quite a few times before. If you know me well, you can imagine the expression I had on my face. Yes, that one.

Now I like chili but my chili is like my meatloaf; I generally use the same ingredients but I sometimes mess around with the proportions and it comes out really good or just ok. When I got Uncle's recipe, the thing that I was struck by is his recipe looks an awful lot like my haphazard one. The biggest difference is he took the time to tweak the proportions to suit his taste and to record the one he liked best. What a difference that makes!

So, with the blessing of his daughters, here it is:

Today's cast!

Both of my siblings said that Fritos corn chips are a MUST with the chili. My brother and I both love the BBQ variety and my family likes the bean dip with it. Hey, we aim to please...

Chopped onion was sautéed in oil until they got translucent.

I added the chopped Portuguese sausage, garlic and ground beef. That was cooked until the ground beef was thoroughly browned. Then the fat was drained off.

Stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste were added along with the seasoning packet, salt, sugar and boiling water. I gave it a good stir, brought it up to a boil and then let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Very early in the simmering process, I knew it was going to be perfect. The consistency was thick but there was enough sauce to make it pourable over rice (a requirement in Hawaii!) and the seasoning was just right. No extra salt was needed and it wasn't too sweet. It. Just. Tasted. Good.

The beans were added right before serving. My guys ate it over rice and topped it with chopped onions and grated cheddar jack cheese.

The Fritos were a nice accompaniment.

I have been on a low-carb meal plan for a while now. My rule of thumb with the things I cook is to taste a little during the seasoning process and then a little at the end; if it meets my dietary requirements, I'll eat my portion. Tonight that went out the window. I didn't eat rice but I did eat a nice bowl of the chili. With Fritos.

We all really enjoyed the chili. It was so local and, as my sister said, "So Uncle."

My strongest memory of Aunty Carol was her loud, from-the-gut laugh. My strongest memory of Uncle  Ken was the way he told a story and how his eyes would crinkle shut when he laughed. Food and laughter. What a great way to be remembered.

Cheers.

Uncle Ken on the far left with Aunty Carol right next to him. My Mom is third from the right. The picture is not dated and as the little boy isn't one of us, I can't use his age to approximate the year!

Uncle Ken's Chili
Courtesy of The Watanabe Family

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
 2T. oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 package chili seasoning
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. boiling water
1 can 14.5 oz. stewed tomatoes
1 can 6 oz. tomato paste
1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 can kidney beans (I drained mine)
1 Portuguese sausage (I used Redondo's mild), chopped

Instructions:

1. Fry onions in oil. Add garlic, beef, sausage, then drain excess oil. 
2. Add chili seasoning, sugar, water, tomatoes, paste and sauce.
3. Cook til boiling, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes (I covered it and stirred occasionally).
4. Add beans and heat through.