Chili con Carne

Before the critics rolls in I am going to state up front: I am from Canada, I do not have a background in Tex-Mex cooking, I have never set foot in the great state of Texas. [Side note- my lovely cousin from Austin, we should rectify this!]

But all those caveats aside- I make a damn good Chili. It is hearty, it has a nuanced flavour, and it has kick; sometimes a lot of kick! It has lots of beans and some tomatoes, because that is how I like it. And I’m not going to apologize!

So what makes my Chili great? For starters, you need to take the time to properly brown the meat. [And yes it has to have meat!] If you want to make this dish really special, use whole beef (boneless beef chunk), cut up into 1/2 inch dice. Or as I usually do because it is cheap and already in my freezer- use ground beef, properly seasoned. Brown the meat in small batches so that it actually browns and doesn’t steam. It takes a little time, but the end result is so much better.

The other key is to make sure that the chili is thick and not too watery. That means making sure to actually measure your wet ingredients. I also buzz up some of the beans in the food processor with some of the liquid, to thicken up the sauce; a trick I learned from Fine Cooking Magazine.

I add a lot of beans to my Chili. You can use whatever varieties you prefer, I generally add a mix of black beans, red and white kidney beans and navy beans. The amount of spice I use definitely produces a kick, and one that generally hits you one or two bites in. Feel free to tailor the spice to your own preference. You can also control the heat by including or excluding the ribs and seeds from your chili peppers.

Note: if using chunks of beef, cook the beef with the beans for the whole hour.

Chili
Adapted from Fine Cooking, Issue 127

5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 lbs ground beef
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onion
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 habenero chili, finely chopped
2 red chili peppers, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 cup beer (I use a lager)
1 14 oz can diced canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
7 cups of canned beans (I use a mix of red kidney beans, black beans, navy beans and Cannellini beans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

To garnish:
chopped avocados
chopped cilantro
grated sharp cheddar cheese (or pepper jack)
lime wedges

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a heavy duty, 6 quart pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the meat in batches to ensure browning; seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks. Cook it undisturbed until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip or break up and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and reserve the meat. Repeat with the remaining meat.

Add the remaining oil and onion to the pot, stirring occasionally until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers, stirring another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the beer and turn the heat up to high and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth.

Turn the heat down to medium low. Puree 1 1/2 cups of beans in a blender or food processor, adding a little stewing liquid from the pot as needed. Stir the pureed beans into the pot. Add the remaining whole beans. Cover and summer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Return the ground meat and any accumulated juices to the pot and cook for an additional 30 minutes. If the chili gets too thick, thin it with a little water.

Add the corn to the chili and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the garnishes.