2 lbs ground beef
3 large yellow onions, cut into a large dice
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1-2 Anaheim peppers
1-2 jalapeno peppers
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 6.5 lb can diced tomatoes with juice
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- canned, juice reserved
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp SOS* see blog entry for SOS
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Garnish - Monterrey and pepper jack cheese, sour cream, minced green onion, tortilla chips
1. Add beef to a large dutch oven set over medium heat and stir to break into small pieces and brown. Add bell pepper, Anaheim and jalapeno peppers.* Add garlic, and stir to combine.
2. Stir in drained pinto beans and the whole big can of tomatoes and juice. Add remaining ingredients, ending with the chipoltle peppers. Because these can vary a lot depending on the brand, I taste before I decide how much to dice up and add to the pot. It's usually about three for us - but even my little guys like a touch of heat. If I'm feeding my Dad I leave it out entirely.
3. Stir the whole thing together well, adjust heat to a bare simmer and walk away for a couple of hours. The seasonings will marry and come together and intensify as it simmers, so it is critical to re-season to taste before you serve it. Most likely you'll need to re-salt, but wait to the end to let the flavors come together. I often hit it with another good jolt of lime juice before serving as well - the bright lime flabor is just fabulous with the rich flavors.
4. Serve with a little grated cheese - Monterrey jack or pepper jack, a dab of sour cream and some minced green onion on top. I always add the Tennessee Caviar with some tortillas on the side, and some homemade salsa.
*This is a great place to play with heat. If you want to keep it mild, skip the jalapeno entirely and use more bell pepper. Anaheims are nice and mild too. The chipotle peppers are dried and smoked jalapenos - so add as little or as much as you like. The important thing to remember is to make sure the heat doesn't dominate good flavor. Also keep in mind that the heat builds as the dish simmers - what's not hot at all when you first add it can really whack you a couple hours later. You can always add heat but you can't take it out. I use the remaining chipotles for salsa. My older son and my daughter and I like to have some so hot we cry as we reach for more.
If you have a couple of cups of leftover chili - use it a couple of days later as the flavor base for Tortilla Soup. (see blog entry for Tortilla Soup.)
3 large yellow onions, cut into a large dice
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1-2 Anaheim peppers
1-2 jalapeno peppers
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 6.5 lb can diced tomatoes with juice
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- canned, juice reserved
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp SOS* see blog entry for SOS
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Garnish - Monterrey and pepper jack cheese, sour cream, minced green onion, tortilla chips
1. Add beef to a large dutch oven set over medium heat and stir to break into small pieces and brown. Add bell pepper, Anaheim and jalapeno peppers.* Add garlic, and stir to combine.
2. Stir in drained pinto beans and the whole big can of tomatoes and juice. Add remaining ingredients, ending with the chipoltle peppers. Because these can vary a lot depending on the brand, I taste before I decide how much to dice up and add to the pot. It's usually about three for us - but even my little guys like a touch of heat. If I'm feeding my Dad I leave it out entirely.
3. Stir the whole thing together well, adjust heat to a bare simmer and walk away for a couple of hours. The seasonings will marry and come together and intensify as it simmers, so it is critical to re-season to taste before you serve it. Most likely you'll need to re-salt, but wait to the end to let the flavors come together. I often hit it with another good jolt of lime juice before serving as well - the bright lime flabor is just fabulous with the rich flavors.
4. Serve with a little grated cheese - Monterrey jack or pepper jack, a dab of sour cream and some minced green onion on top. I always add the Tennessee Caviar with some tortillas on the side, and some homemade salsa.
*This is a great place to play with heat. If you want to keep it mild, skip the jalapeno entirely and use more bell pepper. Anaheims are nice and mild too. The chipotle peppers are dried and smoked jalapenos - so add as little or as much as you like. The important thing to remember is to make sure the heat doesn't dominate good flavor. Also keep in mind that the heat builds as the dish simmers - what's not hot at all when you first add it can really whack you a couple hours later. You can always add heat but you can't take it out. I use the remaining chipotles for salsa. My older son and my daughter and I like to have some so hot we cry as we reach for more.
If you have a couple of cups of leftover chili - use it a couple of days later as the flavor base for Tortilla Soup. (see blog entry for Tortilla Soup.)
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