A Really Good Chili

Let's preface this post by saying I'm not from Cincinnatti nor from Texas, just a girl from New Jersey looking for a good chili recipe!

Chili is a personal thing.
I know it's sacrilegious to put beans in a chili if you are from Texas.

People from Cincy like cinnamon and spice (and everything nice).

The real chili connoisseurs grind their own dried chilis to make a paste, and it goes on and on........

Here, I started with grinding my own chuck steak, so I was ahead of the game (yesterday's post) by using good meat.

This recipe from Food52 sounded interesting and the comments were all positive.

It uses brewed coffee, brown sugar, beer and cocoa.
Hmmmmm. Weird, I know, but it worked.

I did not keep my meat in cubes, but ground it instead, to save time simmering.

The author uses carrots, because she says her husband likes them. I used carrots, cause my husband likes them too.

If you use a can of fire roasted tomatoes, then omit the cayenne pepper.
If you like a hotter chili, then by all means, go for it.

This was one of the better chilis we have had. It made a huge pot, and I froze it for other meals.

Try it, you'll like it.

A Really Good Chili (adapted from Food52):

Olive oil
2 lbs. of ground chuck steak (you can grind your own, recipe here)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bottle of beer (I used Heineken dark lager)
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (or 1 oz. square of unsweetened baking chocolate)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp of good chili powder
1 tsp or to taste of cayenne pepper
1 heaping tbsp cumin
1 heaping tbsp coriander
1 tsp salt
2 cans of beans (I used red kidney & cannelini, drained and rinsed)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
a few shakes of Tabasco (or hot sauce that you like)

Brown the meat in a large Dutch oven until the pink is mostly gone and add in onions. Cook until the onions are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add in the liquids, then the spices. Cook for about 1 hour.
Add in the beans and carrots and simmer for about another half hour until you get a nice thick consistency.

Taste and season with more or less spices and/or salt.

I don't do the sour cream, cheese thing, we just eat it over rice and enjoy.

Enjoy!