Cookbook # 25 - Chili Madness

This week I continued in Mexican, or at least Mexican-adjacent, cuisine with Chili Madness (2nd Edition) by Jane Butel (2008). I chose Chocolaty Chili for being straightforward and using ingredients I already had on hand, but with the chocolate to make it interesting. And I liked it, though not quite as much as my standard chili—which is basically beans, ground beef, an onion or two, some variety of canned tomato product, beef broth, beer, and liberal amounts of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder until I decide it tastes right.

Chocolaty Chili

• 2 T vegetable oil (not canola)

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 lb. lean ground beef

• 1 16 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 16 oz can tomato puree

• 1 6 oz can tomato paste

• 4 fresh domestic green chilis, such as Anaheims, parched, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 4 oz can chopped green chilis

• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, halved

• 2 T pure ground red chile powder (hot, mild, or a combination)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 beef bouillon cube

Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the meat to the skillet. Break up and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the kidney beans, tomato puree, tomato paste, green chiles, ½ cup water, half of the chocolate, the ground chile, half of the cumin, and the beef bouillon cube. Mix well and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Stir in the remaining chocolate and continue cooking until it is thoroughly blended, adding water if the chili begins to cook down too much or look too dry. Add the remaining cumin, taste, and adjust the seasonings.