ASK the KING: vol. 2

ASK the KING

Kimberly from Fulton, MO asks:

Why does my chili come out so runny? I like a thick chili.

Thank you for writing, Kimberly and thanks for being a fan on Facebook.

Runny chili...ugh. I'm with you, there's nothing better than a chili with more meat and beans then liquid. Here's a few things you can check for... and a way to "fix" the problem next time you encounter a runny problem.

Make certain you are following the recipe correctly. Specifically to chili, most recipes call for drained cans of beans. The liquid that the beans are packaged in (you know... bean slime) should be discarded and not added to your recipe (unless it says undrained). Second, chose your ingredients carefully. There are certain brands of tomatoes that are significantly "wetter"than others. That is, the cans of chopped or diced tomatoes are packaged in way TOO MUCH water. Try to find a brand that is filled with delicious tomatoes (I have had great success with Pastene prepared tomatoes).

If your recipe is right... maybe your slow cooker is wrong. There is a possibility that your cooker is working TOO SLOW. Try a higher setting, if you can.

If you check those two things and it is still runny (by the way, this is NOT uncommon. There are many recipes of mine that come out on the wet side of desirable) you can try these two things.

First, if it works with your recipe, corn starch can thicken juice into a creamy gravy. This certainly doesn't work for all recipes, but you could try it.

Second, raise your cooker to its highest setting and cook for 20 minutes with the lid off. This will steam/boil off excess liquid. I have to do this MOST times with my Sloppy Joe recipe... and I still wouldn't change a thing.

I hope this helps, Kimberly.

ENJOY!

If you have a question for the king, do not hesitate to ask at kingofcrock@gmail.com .