Trash-Talk Chili
The Nitty Gritty:
The melded flavors of tomatoes, cumin, and beef make this chili a worthwhile effort.- Level: 1
- Prep Time: 20 minutes, then 2 hours of simmering
- Yields: Serves a crowd
- Tags: first course
Chili is a highly subjective animal — a subject of fierce pride and territoriality, driving people such as former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson to say things like, “Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing.”
It’s controversial enough that some consider tomatoes as tasteful as a red dress at a funeral. This version also bucks convention by forgoing the chili peppers that some would shrivel up and die without. Kidney or black beans could be substituted for the garbanzos. In fact, you can do whatever you want! I don’t have a dog in this fight. In fact, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with chili (I find myself picking out 80% of it — the beans), but after many experiments I hit on a combination I’ve stuck with for years.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes, with liquid
- 15 ½ oz. can pinto beans, drained
- 15 ½ oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
- 12 oz. dark beer
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- 4 Tbsp. chili powder, more if you like it spicy!
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions:
- Place beef in a large skillet and break up into pieces. Cook on medium heat until gray and browned throughout (no pink).
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add spices to the onions and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing spices to release their flavors. Dump in the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, being careful not to brown or burn it.
- Add beans, tomatoes, beer, and cooked beef to the pot. Stir until well-blended. Simmer on low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Feel free to add more beer if the chili becomes too thick for your taste.
- Season with plenty of kosher salt to blend and enhance the chili's flavors, and don't be surprised if you have to add several tablespoons to bring the taste to where you want it. More chili pepper or hot sauce will satisfy the fire-breathing dragons in your crowd.
- Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Renew New Year's resolutions.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a communications consultant in Washington, D.C., who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College, completing additional study at the University of Cambridge in the U.K.(where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to that of the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Service). Her palate is ever-evolving but she includes California Zinfandels, Cotes du Rhone, and white wines from Burgundy and the Loire Valley among her current favorites. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is a monthly online publication edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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