Chipotle Chili

I love Chili. Big pots of steaming, comforting, warming me up in the dead of winter chili.

I don’t love Chili Powder. Gritty, undisolved, overly chili powdered chili does not a good pot o’ red make.

I am a chili purist… no beans… no mushrooms… no carrots… you get the idea?

Pots & Pots of chili have been made in my kitchen. This is the best yet.             Period.

Please make this chili.

You need a yellow onion… garlic… and I have some cilantro for garnish.

Grab a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These are delicious. Keep them in your cupboard. I will come visit.

You need 2 of these bad boys. (peppers, not cans)          Chop them up.           (I used 3… I’m a Spicy Gal. You can use less if you like it mild.)

Speaking of spicy… Here’s the lineup:

1. Steak Seasoning (my secret weapon)
2. Smoked Paprika (NOT sweet paprika… Spanish Smoked Paprika. There IS a difference. Buy it. Use it. You will love it.)
3. Cumin
4. Chili Powder (I know, I am not a Chili Powder fan. This small amount (compared to other chili recipes) blends into the chipotle with no grit.)
5. Let’s Pretend there is kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper here… we’ll need these too.

And now for the wet ingredients…. drumroll, please….. Beer! Flavorful beer, please. No 99¢ convenience store no-name beer. I am using Samuel Adams Winter Lager. Why? Because it was what I had.

Side Note: Winter Lager is my hub’s favorite. It is only made in the winter and he tries to hide it in the garage mini-fridge he brought with him from his bachelor days in college. He doesn’t drink beer often… so he won’t miss it.    But, Hey! He is getting some chili out of the deal. Even trade.

You will also need crushed tomatoes, green chiles, worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, & beef stock… low sodium is my preference.  Here again- leave out the hot pepper sauce if you like it mild.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan over high heat.  Love me my enameled cast iron.

Add in some olive oil. Not too much. Not too little.

Brown ground beef with the Steak Seasoning. Crumble the meat very well. Big chunks of meat chili= less flavorful chili. Remove browned meat from pot & drain off fat.

Add another quick splash of olive oil. Sweat the onions for a couple minutes. Don’t sweat yourself. Turn up the A/C.

Now throw in the garlic. 4 to 6 minced cloves of garlic.         Or 7…. or 8…. I like garlic. Vampires never come to visit. That’s fine with me. Cook for a few minutes more.

See the cooked on, browned bits on the pan? You want this… this is yummy… this is good. You will scrape these up LATER on when you add the beer.

Add the meat back in. Throw in the green chiles…. chipotle… cumin… chili powder… paprika… salt… black pepper… worcestershire sauce… hot pepper sauce. Mix well.

Pour in the beer. Deglaze the pan (scrape the bits)… Stir and let the beer reduce for 5 to 7 minutes. Cooking with beer is like cooking with wine. The beer will give it a richer flavor.

Mmmmm…. wish you could smell the yumminess. The beer is reduced and ready for the tomatoes.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes & beef stock.    Simmer.    Simmer.                  Simmer some more.

Simmer for at least 45 minutes over low heat. Stir it every so often. Give it some love.   If the chili reduces too much, add a little more beef stock.

Put some in a bowl… or eat it right out of the pot. Top with an endless array of garnish. My fave is extra sharp white cheddar. I added some cilantro because I had it.

Yum… chipotle chili.     It will warm you up.     It will make a man marry you.    Try it.

Recipe:                    Click Here for Printable Version of Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes   Cook Time: 45 minutes  Total: 50 minutes  Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2 lbs. mix of ground chuck & ground sirloin
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (I used McCormick Grill Seasoning)
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (canned), chopped with their juices (single peppers- NOT TWO CANS)
• 1 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 bottle beer (light, medium, or dark– whatever floats your boat!)
• 1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 carton (3 cups) Beef Stock

Instructions:

Heat dutch oven over high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil 2 turns of the pan and the meat. Season it with grill seasoning and sear it up, browning and crumbling it. Transfer meat to a plate, drain off fat, and return pot to stove. Reduce heat to medium and add another splash extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions and start to sweat them. After 2 or 3 minutes add the garlic. Once the onions and garlic have been working for a few minutes add the meat back, season with green chiles, chipotle in adobo, cumin, chili powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, & worcestershire sauce. Add in beer to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the pan bits. Reduce the beer by half, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes & stock and simmer for flavors to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste as chili simmers. If chili reduces too much, add more beef stock.

Optional Add-Ons: Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Cilantro, Sour Cream, Avocado

Variations: Add Black or Kidney Beans when you add in the tomatoes & beef stock.

Click Here for a Printable Version of Recipe