All I Wanted Was: Beer and Chocolate Chili
I recently queried Facebook pals for a chili recipe that had meat, beer and chocolate. So many ideas came my way but I ended up tooling around the Internet until I settled on this one below.
I had originally planned to put it all in the crock pot before a Rose Champagne tasting I was headed to but Eddie told me the beans would get too mushy if left all day to simmer. So, I whipped this up in about an hour, and let it simmer for another.
My favorite ingredients had to be the chocolate and beer, of course, but I loved the cumin, garlic and onions, especially when they cooked up first with the bell peppers, until “fragrant” as the recipe suggested. And, I loved the way my house…smelled.
My edits to the recipe, as usual, are in italics.
Beer and Chocolate Chili
http://treataweek.blogspot.com/2009/02/beer-and-chocolate-chili.html
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (Finally bought a new jar!)
1 1/2 pounds spicy ground turkey (I used ground chuck)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (I couldn’t find it = left it out!)
1 ounce package spicy taco seasoning mix (Spicy? I only saw regular, used that.)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 ounce dark chocolate or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (Went for the chocolate!)
1 (12 ounce) bottle of lager-style beer or chicken broth (I had Guinness on hand.)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese or sliced scallions (all optional), for garnish
Directions
1. Heat half the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, oregano and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat remaining olive oil. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a metal or plastic spoon, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add back the onion and bell pepper mixture.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, chili pepper flakes, taco seasoning, salt, chili powder, and chocolate or cocoa powder; cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the beer and simmer on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juices, kidney beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
6. Serve garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese or sliced green onions. Serve with warm cornbread. (Hubby requested flour tortillas.)
7. Store covered in the fridge for one week or in an airtight container in the freezer for three months.
