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Cooking With My Dad - Manly Meals

Updated on January 11, 2014

A Manly Man's Meal

I grew up in a very close family. Everyday, my mom woke us up for school and fed us a delicious homemade meal. I didn't realize how spoiled I was! She made us pancakes, waffles, french toast, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, etc. She is an amazing cook! We all sat down as a family every evening to eat dinner together as well. The television was never on, or the radio, or anything that would distract us from each other. We sat together and ate. We talked about our days. Some days we weren't talking, usually because we were too busy eating!

I remember when I was about 10 or so, asking why my mom always cooked the food. She told me it was because my dad only likes to cook certain foods. Food that us kids might not like. Manly food. He would make himself a giant batch of chili, or goulash, and he always did the grilling. My mom was right, I didn't really like his manly foods. They all were packed full of meat and spicy flavors that I didn't like as a kid. The thing that matters here though, my dad loves it! And I think he secretly likes that he usually gets to eat all of the food himself!

My Dad, Brad's Favorite Meals

  1. Chili. My dad's chili is VERY different from any kind of chili that I would like, but he absolutely loves it. And he loves cooking it. I have to admit, it does smell amazing, and it really is a man's meal.
  2. Goulash. Have you ever had goulash? It really is easy to make. He cooks some noodles up and some ground beef. Combines the noodles, beef and some stewed tomatoes along with some seasoning. My mom and dad love it. My siblings and I hate it. Maybe it's a generational thing?
  3. Grilled anything. Specifically, burgers. My dad is AMAZING at grilling. He's a natural at it. Grilled hot dogs, burgers, mushrooms, potatoes, brats, steaks, anything! He uses only charcoal, and no lighter fluid. It's delicious.

What Do You Think?

Which of the Men's Meals is Your Favorite?

See results

Brad's Grilling Necessities

Weber Smokey Joe 14-Inch Portable Grill, Black
Weber Smokey Joe 14-Inch Portable Grill, Black
The perfect little grill for camping or tailgating!
 
Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
My dad says you can't go wrong with Weber!
 
Rapidfire Chimney Starter
Rapidfire Chimney Starter
The fastest and easiest way to get your grill ready. No lighter fluid touches my dad's charcoal!
 

This is how my dad loves his chili. Make it for your man, and he's sure to love it! This is his basic recipe, but he changes it up almost every time he makes it. He'll try some different spices and add some different ingredients. Play around with it!

Cook Time

Prep Time: As long as it takes you to chop!

Total Time: A Manly Hour (or 2)

Serves: 4 Hungry Men

Ingredients

  • 1 large white onion
  • 8 cloves of garlic
  • olive oil
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can of his favorite beer
  • 16 ounces of beef broth
  • 4 cups of my mom's canned tomatoes (you can use any stewed tomatoes!)
  • 6 ounces of tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • a pinch of brown sugar

Instructions

  1. My dad will grab his huge chili pot and start browning up some chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil. Take a minute to breath in this great smell! Once the onion and garlic are nice and happy, he adds a ton of ground beef. It's his favorite part. I said about 2 pounds, but if your man likes meat, add some more! Try a few different kinds of meat. I think my dad made it with bear once and claimed it was excellent. Season the meat while it is cooking with s&p.
  2. Once the meat is cooked he adds his can of beer. Always taking a nice big swig of it for himself. This concoction he lets simmer for a while. The beer reduces nicely and the flavors get nice and concentrated. Then my mom's canned tomatoes, the beef broth and the tomato paste are all stirred in. He lets this cook for a bit and adds the chili powder, ground cumin, and a pinch of brown sugar once he's sure he likes the thickness.
  3. After everything gets up to temperature and he likes the seasoning, my dad will usually grab a bowl of the chili and sit down with another beer. This is a really important step he says. You should leave the chili simmering while you do this, and if you want to change anything you still have a chance. Usually he doesn't think it's spicy enough so he'll add some hot sauce. Or saute up some chili peppers, and add them. He just loves fiddling around with it.
Cast your vote for Father's Favorite Chili

The Most Important Item - If you're making a manly man's pot of chili...

Is a manly man's chili pot!

Prime Pacific 18/10 Stainless Steel 20 Quart Stock Pot With Glass Lid
Prime Pacific 18/10 Stainless Steel 20 Quart Stock Pot With Glass Lid
My dad would love this pot. He's always wanting more space. He's usually the only person in our house that like to eat his chili, but boy do the guys he works with love it. Right now he can only make a medium size batch of chili, but with this pot he could make that extra large batch that he's always dreaming of. I think I know what he'll be getting for father's day!
 

Does he have a favorite recipe? We'd all love to hear it!

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