Chili for Saint Patrick’s Day? It’s not green, so what gives? Well, the February issue of Bon Appetit has a great looking recipe for Beef & Dark Beer Chili. I’d been eying the recipe for a few weeks & then figured with a pint of Guinness it would make an almost Irish meal. Ok, I know it’s kind of twisted logic, but it works for me. At least the jalapenos are green! Believe it or not, the local LCBO was out of Guinness on St. Patties day, so we had to settle for Smithwick’s instead. Life is tough!
I spent the afternoon putting this big pot together and resisted the urge to taste until all the ingredients were together. The smells while building the chili are incredible. Once everything is assembled, the chili is fantastic. The spices, jalapenos and chipotles give just enough heat, which is countered by the sweetness of the bell peppers. This chili will likely become a staple around here.
Saint Patties Day Chili Adapted slightly from Beef & Dark Beer Chili in the February 2007 issue of Bon Appetit
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
5 pounds ground beef
olive oil
2 1/2 pounds sweet onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/2 pounds yellow or orange bell peppers
2 large jalapeno chilis, with seeds, coarsley chopped
7 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons canned chipotle chilis in adobo, minced
2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans of kidney beans
1 1/2 pints of Smithwick’s Irish Ale
Sour cream
Chopped green onions
Coarsely grated old cheddar cheese
Putting it all together
Toast the cumin and coriander in a skillet over medium heat until the spices turn darker in colour and start smoking slightly. The aroma is heavenly. Set the pan aside to cool.
Saute the beef in your biggest heavy pot, breaking it up with a spoon, until there is no pink left.
While the beef cooks, heat a splash of olive oil in your largest skillet. Add half the onions and 3 kinds of peppers and saute until they begin to soften, about 15 minutes on medium heat. Add the mixture to the pot full of meat. Heat another splash of oil and the rest of the peppers and onions, cook the same way and put this batch in the pot as well.
Now it’s time to make things happen. To the big pot, add the chipotle chilis, the toasted spices, chili powder, crushed tomatoes, beans and beer. Stir it up well. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Serve it up
Fill each bowl with the chili. Top with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar and a sprinkle of chopped green onions. Serve with a nice crusty bread.
Now pour yourself yet another pint and prepare to enjoy.
