Our Favorite Chili
This chili has become a staple in our house and makes plenty to share with friends. It has a good amount of spice, but not too much to overwhelm those who are more sensitive to heat. Once the vegetables are chopped and canned ingredients opened, its really just dump, stir and simmer.
Equipment
- 5 to 8- quart pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 2 pounds ground beef preferably 80 to 90 percent lean (see NOTE)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 large bell peppers, chopped red, green and/or yellow
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, preferably petite diced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with either chipotle or green chilies
- 1/3 cup red wine optional
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- Hot cooked macaroni noodles if desired
Toppings
- shredded Mexican blend cheese
- sour cream
- oyster crackers
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sliced ripe black olives
- diced ripe avocado
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large (5 to 8-quart) pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add ground beef (in batches if necessary so not to crowd in the pan) and cook, breaking up into bite-sized crumbles, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. (If cooking in batches, remove first batch of cooked beef, drain and discard fat and then cook remaining beef.) Carefully drain and discard fat from pan. Return cooked beef to pan and add garlic, all the peppers, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring, until peppers start to soften and spices are slightly fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, wine (if using), tomato paste and water, stirring to combine the paste with the liquid. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add black beans and continue to simmer, partially covered (see NOTE), until chili is the desired thickness 10 to 20 minutes longer.
- Serve chili with cooked macaroni noodles, if desired, and your favorite toppings.
- Makes about 12 cups
Notes
NOTE: I prefer to use 80 percent lean ground beef for this chili as it offers a rich flavor that works with all the spices and tomatoes. Drain off as much of the fat as possible after cooking the beef. If, however, you prefer to use leaner beef, choose any leanest up to 90 percent.
To simmer, partially covered, place cover slightly askew on pot, leaving about 1-2 inches of open space between cover and rim of pot to allow some (but not too much!) steam to escape. This method also makes it easier to monitor the chili, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep a gentle simmer.