How to Make a Very Good Chili
Makes 8-10 servings
What You Need
Ingredients:
1 - 1
1/2 pounds ground meat or chuck roast (beef, buffalo, turkey or other)
or vegetarian protein (tofu, Boca crumbles, or other) — slice roasts
into cubes
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1-2 other vegetables (like celery, carrots or zucchini), diced (optional)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings
(choose 2-3): 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon
oregano, 1 tablespoon ground chipotle peppers, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 cup amber or brown ale or red wine
3 cups chicken, vegetable, or beef broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups (2 16-oz cans) cooked black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optional)
To serve: Shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocados, chopped scallions, hot sauce, chopped cilantro
Equipment:
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Large Dutch oven or soup pot
Instructions
1.
Brown the meat. If using meat, warm a teaspoon of oil in a large heavy
Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and brown the meat. Break up
ground meat as it browns, leaving pieces as large or small as you like
them. If you're using chuck roast, make sure all sides of the beef cubes
are seared dark brown. Transfer the browned meat from the pot to a
clean dish.
If you're making a vegetarian chili with tofu or
other protein, add it along with the beans in Step 6. Reduce the amount
of stock and the cooking time by half.
2. Cook the vegetables.
In the same pot used to brown the meat, warm a tablespoon of oil over
medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the other vegetables and continue to
cook until softened, another 5-8 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of
the pan and add the garlic. Cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30
seconds, then stir into the vegetables. It's normal for a dark sticky
crust to start forming on the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the
seasonings. Add the seasonings and 2 teaspoons of salt to the pan. Stir
until the vegetables are coated and the spices are fragrant, another 30
seconds.
4. Deglaze the pan. Pour the beer or wine into the hot
pan. Scrape up the dark sticky crust as the liquid bubbles. Continue
scraping and stirring until the beer or wine has almost evaporated.
5.
Add the broth and simmer. Add the browned meat back into the pan. Pour
in the broth. Bring the chili to a simmer and cook for 45-60 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until the meat has is very tender (cubes of chuck
roast may take a bit longer). The chili will still look soupy.
6.
Add the tomatoes and beans to the chili. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn
(if using), and vegetarian protein (if using) to the pot. Simmer for
another 10 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings or salt to taste.
7.
Serve with garnishes. Chili is often best the day after it's been
cooked. It will also keep for up to a week and freezes well for up to
three months. Serve with cheese and other garnishes.
For more information see
The Kitchn.
