Dinner Tonight: Beef and Dark Beer Chili
"It has all the hallmarks of diner chili."
[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]
On the official chili allegiance list, you'll see my name forever pledged to Texas chili. I'll spare the adjectives, and just say that the thick bowl of red is one of my favorite foods. So what am I doing with this guy, one that uses ground beef, loads of tomatoes, and, gasp, beans! See, I grew up in the Midwest and have a true soft spot for this style which seems to be served at every diner across the Heartland. I have some fond memories, but could I translate that into a recipe that actually tasted good?
I fell for this recipe from Bon Appetit immediately. It has all the hallmarks of diner chili: loads of tomatoes and more vegetables than you can imagine. Yet it is also peppered with some interesting additions. Thanks to the toasted cumin and coriander, it has a truly haunting aroma. There's also a teeny teaspoon of chipotle, something I may add much more of next time. But this dish isn't about the heat. It's about pure comfort.
This recipe won't replace my love for authentic Texas chili, but it is surprisingly tasty dish perfect for the upcoming fall chill.
Beef and Dark Beer Chili
- serves 6 -
Adapted from Bon Appetit.
Ingredients
3/4 tablespoon cumin seed
1/2 tablespoon coriander seed
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
6 ounces dark beer (like stout)
Sour cream
Scallions, thinly sliced
Grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Add the cumin and coriander seed to a small skillet set over medium heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan often, until they darken slightly, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then grind.
2. Cook the beef in batches in a large skillet set over medium-high until it is no longer pink. Set the cooked beef aside for a few minutes. Drain off any fat and juices that collect.
3. Meanwhile, pour the canola oil into a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, red pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring often, until very soft. This should take about 15 minutes.
4. Add the browned beef, spices, chili powder, chopped chipotles, tomatoes, beans, and beer to the large pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle some chili into a bowl. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of scallion and cheese.
View other entries from Dinner Tonight.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
8 Comments:
I dunno, man, I can imagine a lot more than two vegetables! :P
That said, I might have to try making this - beer in chili sounds promising. I'd probably cut the meat way back, though. And add celery (Midwesterner). And maybe garlic. And lose the onion, to appease my picky eater.
Judes at 5:16PM on 10/12/09
Not really a comment on the post, but I wish people would stop including "chili powder" in any recipe. Chili powder is no different than curry powder, it's a blend of spices and can be different depending on the producer.
If you truly want to capture the flavor in a recipe, figure out the spices that your chili powder of choice actually contains, or specify the chili powder you use.
schmonsequences at 7:01PM on 10/12/09
If it's truly midwestern, it should be served over spaghetti!
Most of my favorite chilis involve beer-- it gives such a nice depth.
shalomblack at 7:03PM on 10/12/09
Just clicked on the link for your pledge to Texas chili, and saw in it a link to your recipe for chili powder. Well done.
schmonsequences at 7:05PM on 10/12/09
Holy momma. Never thought of adding beer before. Must. Do. Nowwwww. I've been digging on Obama's Chili recipe http://bit.ly/8CMEJ for a while now but beer good. Beef good, too.
sfinfgeld at 7:23PM on 10/12/09
As a Texan, I've always made my chili with beer, and have even been known to add a few beans from time to time.
As far as chili powder goes, every serious chili cook makes his own chili powder from scratch, and so should you.
SenorBob at 8:24PM on 10/12/09
Dark Beer (Negro Modelo preferably) is the key to all my chilis, especially this Smokey Vegetarian Chili. If you use beer, chipotles, and all the spices you also use above, you barely miss the meat. This may be a controversial statement, but I promise you, it's all in the beer!
BigGirlPhoebz at 2:21PM on 10/13/09
I love the idea of beer in chili - that's what I tried to get at in this recipe last year but this looks better! I'll try it out.
Chew on That at 4:58PM on 10/16/09