Beef Chili

For our church small group this week I made baked potatoes topped with beef chili, sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese. Since I read that chili tastes best the day after you make it, I decided to prepare it on Tuesday afternoon, the day before our small group met for dinner. All afternoon the chili smelled so good that it made the girls and me quite hungry. I kept wishing that I could eat it that night instead of eating the meal that I had planned. Fortunately, there was still some chili leftover after small group, so we got to enjoy it two nights in a row after all.

This recipe is adapted from the Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2003, recipe for Simple Beef Chili with Kidney Beans. You can go to www.cooksillustrated.com for their version of the recipe.

Beef Chili
serves 8 to 10 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Use cans that contain only kidney beans, water, and salt.
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes. Use a can that contains only tomatoes, tomato juice, and salt.
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree. Use a can that contains only tomatoes.
• sea salt

Instructions:

In a large 6-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Then add the chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally. After five minutes, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne. Saute for about 5 more minutes until the onions are softened.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add half of the ground beef. Break the beef up with a spoon and stir to combine with the onion and spices until the beef is no longer pink and is beginning to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the other half of the beef. Break it up with a spoon and stir frequently until it is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Bring everything to a boil. Then lower the heat so that the chili is just simmering. Cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and let the chili simmer uncovered for 1 more hour, stirring occasionally. If the chili begins to stick to the bottom of the pot or gets too thick, add 1/2 cup of water.