BEST BEEF CHILI RECIPE | Essential Comfort Food!

No need to tell us what we already know – this is the BEST BEEF CHILI RECIPE ever!

It was paramount that we got this essential recipe right, mainly because everyone loves a good, old-fashioned chili recipe, but also because chili always works up at the cottage, and in the city for that matter. It’s easy to make and perfect to serve and enjoy as a laid back, relaxed meal option.

‘Nuff said! Let’s make the BEST BEEF CHILI RECIPE… ever!

SIMPLE WORKS
There’s something almost unbelievably funny about this recipe that calls for only a few basic ingredients, all of which may already be on hand. Simple is this recipe’s middle name!

SPICE ROAD
A bigger spice mix makes for better chili so we pulled together an interesting spice combination that really blossoms as this chili slowly cooks. Please don’t second-guess my call for a whopping ¼ cup of chili powder or for the way I include smoky chipotle and dried herbs into the mix. This chili is like a spice road trip!

PEPPER PICKS
There are many times where I just stall in the aisle at my local supermarket, unable to make a decision. In this case, the question was, “What peppers go best in a chili recipe made with beef?”
In the end, I decided on three: red and green bell peppers, both for sweetness and their perfect colour combination, and a jalapeño to raise the heat a tiny bit more.

SLOW AND STEADY

Since this is a chili con carne (meaning one with meat, in this case, chili with ground beef), we felt a slow and steady simmer would help develop really big flavours, and this approach definitely worked. When you go to brown the meat, do as we did and add it just a little at a time. Stirring it in with the spices, onion, celery, and garlic ensures it breaks up as it cooks slowly.
There’s yet another slow step in this recipe, coming after the tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, and beans have been added: make sure to stir your pot every so often over the next two hours. Again, slow and steady does the trick. Also, watch closely and you’ll notice how the saucy chili thickens and darkens and gets so deliciously perfect. BTW, tasting over the two hours is allowed, and in fact, is strongly suggested!

SERVES US RIGHT
When it comes to serving this BEST BEEF CHILI ever, we want you to think about it as a free-for-all. Yes, friends, serve it with anything you’d like!
You might want to try the following: chopped tomatoes and avocado, scallions and red onions, chopped parsley and cilantro, and either sour cream or yoghurt. Even cheese has a place in this recipe – how about grated cheddar or Monterey Jack? Friends have even been known to like it with a squeeze of lime juice, and if the taste stars align, crumbled corn chips with a side of CORN AND CHEDDAR MUFFINS.

Serve up the BEST BEEF CHILI ever! It’s everything you dreamed it would be!

INGREDIENTS

For the chili spice mix:
¼ cup of chili powder
1 tablespoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of chili flakes

1 teaspoon of chipotle powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

For the beef chili:
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
2 lb of ground chuck beef
½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
750 ml of puréed tomatoes
1 can of stewed tomatoes
2 cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

To garnish:
tomatoes, avocado, scallions, red onion, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped herbs, lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

For the chili spice mix:
1) Place all of the dried ingredients into a bowl. Stir together and set aside.

To make the chili:
2) Heat oil in a dutch oven set on the stovetop to medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, garlic and celery cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
3) Sprinkle in the spice mix, stir and cook for an additional two minutes.
4) Reduce the temperature to medium. Add the ground beef little by little, stirring after each addition so that the beef browns and crumbles as it cooks. Continue until all of the beef has been added.
5) Stir in the peppers, cover and cook for a few moments to soften. Stir in the puréed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, and beans. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook covered for one hour, stirring occasionally.

6) At the one-hour mark, remove the lid and cook uncovered for an additional hour, stirring occasionally.
7) Serve in bowls with suggested accompaniments, allowing guests to garnish to their liking.

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