Paul's Black Bean Chili

By Jaya

Award winning!

Ingredients

• 8 oz bacon (about 8 strips)
• 2 medium onions chopped fine (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 cup chill powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (85% lean)
• 30 ounces black beans (1 1/2 cans), drained & rinsed
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Step 1

Cut bacon into 1/2 inch piece. Fry bacon in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive dutch oven (Creuset), over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. If mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, stir in a 1/4 to 1/3 cup water and de-glaze with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the beef. Cook, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally until the beef is tender and the chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. If water was added to prevent sticking or burning, simmer for up to 1 hour more.

The flavour of chili improves with age - if possible, make it a day or up to 5 days in advance. Reheat before serving.