I may not be the biggest football fan, but I do love any excuse to make chili, eat cornbread and drink a nice cold beer (or two). I've spent past Superbowls with a friend's family, and her dad's chili was superb. I had him pass along the recipe, but shied away when I stumbled onto this one (no hard feelings Vince). It sounded spicier, heartier (more veggies - yay!) and slightly less tomatoe-y. Pair it with some cast iron cornbread and you have yourself a winning winter meal.
CHILI // serves 8-10
Adapted from The Kitchn
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef*
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium sized carrot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp ground chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1 cup amber or brown ale (I used guinness)
3 cups broth (vegetable, beef or chicken)
1-28oz can diced tomatoes, strained
1-16oz can black beans, rinsed and strained
1-16oz can kidney beans, rinsed and strained
to serve: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro (optional)
*Note: If making a vegetarian chili, replace the ground beef with sweet potatoes or butternut squash, add along with the beans (see below), reduce the broth and cooking time by half.
What to do:
In a large dutch oven or soup pot, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and allow to brown for several minutes. Break up the meat as it browns, or leave it as larger pieces if you prefer. Once browned, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pot, and still on medium heat, use the beef oil to cook the onions. After about 5 minutes, add the other vegetables and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and stir to combine. Its normal for a dark sticky crust to start forming on the bottom on the pan - don't worry.
Add the spices and salt to the vegetables and stir until evenly coated and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour the beer into the hot pot and scrape up the brown crust on the bottom. Continue stirring until half, or all of the beer has evaporated (5-7 minutes).
Transfer the meat and broth into the pot. Bring to a simmer, and let cook, uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid a thick film forming on top. The mixture will look very soupy. Don't panic.
After about an hour, add the tomatoes and beans to the pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, and with any additional garnishes if you like.