chili on a chilly day

I never used to like chili. I think it was one of those foods I just thought looked like something I wouldn't like and I never tried it. Chili definitely isn't the nicest thing to look at but it can pack some serious flavor. It was the number one thing I was craving last week in the cold weather.

This recipe makes a nice meaty, thick chili. It is loaded with spices and might be a little too spicy for some tastes but it seems to mellow out by the second day. The secret ingredient? Beer.


Chocolate Stout Chili
as seen on Use Real Butter

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with juice
2 tsp beef bouillon (2 cubes)
1 bottle or can of chocolate stout (Young's)
3 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne
salt to taste
1 can kidney beans, washed and drained
1 can cannelloni beans, washed and drained

Brown the meat in a large pot that you plan to cook the chili in. Cook in batches then spoon out and set aside on a plate. Add some more oil then cook the onion, garlic, and peppers until softened. Pour in the tomatoes and scrap up any bits off of the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot and add the bouillon. Stir and cook over moderate heat for several minutes until the tomatoes break down. Pour in the stout and simmer on low heat covered for 1 hour. Add the spices and beans after an hour then simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve with sour cream or whatever you like and corn bread.