Chili

I suppose it's due to the recent onset of cooler weather, but I've been on a soup kick lately.  There aren't many things that can beat a hot bowl of soup on a cold and rainy night. This week I was hankerin' for a hearty bowl of chili.  I've actually been making chili for a couple of weeks now, but I never felt like I got the recipe quite right....until last night.  Chili is really versatile - it can be prepared bare-bones simple all the way to borderline gourmet. I prefer the simpler chili recipes - after all, chili was conceived as a poor man's dish, and making it with $100 of ingredients just seems wrong. So, bearing this in mind, I went to the store and grabbed $20 or so in supplies - ground chuck, ground pork (on sale - $1.79/lb!), tomatoes, black beans, corn, and various other supplies.

All good chilis have one thing in common - time. The longer you can allow a batch of chili to simmer and cook, the better it's going to turn out. The flavors will be fuller and will have melded together nicely, and the spices will have a nicer kick. Some people only use ground beef, and this is certainly acceptable. I'd probably have gone this route if the pork hadn't been so cheap at the store.  Start by prepping everything - dice up the veggies in advance so they can be added quickly. Brown the meats 1 pound at a time in the pot you will cook the chili in so that you can deglaze the cooked fat later on. Now you'll notice that my chili contains an ingredient that might be somewhat...well...controversial for some folks. To me, the beer has to be in there - it adds a flavor that just can't be replicated. However, I don't want to be the "stumbling block" to anybody, so omit the beer if you must. Leftover coffee would probably be a suitable substitute. If you decide to include it, rest assured that the alcohol will cook off and that nobody will be staggering around the room after having a bowl.  It's sometimes desirable to use an immersion blender blend up the spices and tomatoes to get a smoother, more soup-like texture before adding the beans, meat, and corn. I skipped this step because I prefer a chunkier chili. After everything is in the bath, let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. After a half hour, add in some crumbled tortilla chips - they thicken the chili and add flavor - and let it simmer for 20 minutes more. This chili is even better if  you make it up ahead of time and let the slow cooker do the work - 6-8 hours on low would be perfect. Either way, you're going to end up with some tasty chili. Top it with cheese, sour cream, a pinch of cilantro, and a dash of paprika and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
  
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 chipotle peppers, diced
• 3 tbsp adobo sauce (sauce from chipotle peppers)
  
• 1 bottle dark beer
  
• 1 10oz can tomato sauce
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips
  
• 2 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds, toasted (cook in skillet over med heat until seeds start crackling)
  
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper
• salt and pepper

Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in the pot you will cook the chili in, 1lb at a time. Drain meat and set aside, reserving 2 tbsp of fat from meat. Cook onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Pour in beer, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beer is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add spices.  Blend smooth with immersion blender if desired. Add corn, beans, and meat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add crushed tortilla chips, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and/or corn chips.