This is my own chili recipe, and it relies on mostly fresh ingredients.
I do not use canned tomatoes – fresh tomatoes offer a better flavor.
I also do not use dried spices. Dry spices take time to rehydrate and can offer a chalky texture if overused. I rely on chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce contains the dried spices we need for the chili – yet they are already hydrated! We need not wait for them to rehydrate in the tomato juice.
Ingredients
8-10 vine-ripened tomatoes
Two green bell peppers, diced
One large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
One pound ground beef, pork, turkey, or “beyond meat” – not tofu. Tofu will not work.
One can (16oz) each of Black, Kidney, and Pinto beans
2+ chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, minced
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Remove tomato stems, wrap completely in foil, then bake for one hour. Do step 3 with 20 minutes left on the tomatoes!
3. In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion and a fat pinch of kosher salt in olive oil just until browning begins.
4. Heat up to medium-high. Add ground beef; break up; cook until just done
5. Add green peppers and garlic; soften peppers
6. Remove tomatoes from oven, carefully add directly to pot. Break up tomatoes while stirring. They should fall right apart!
7. Add chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, and two more fat pinches of kosher salt! Cook for a few minutes, constantly stirring.
8. Add all beans. Stir to incorporate.
9. Cook uncovered for one hour on medium heat.
10. Add a tablespoon of brown sugar, if you like!