Miss Dot's Chili
I love chili. That’s an understatement. Actually, I worship at the hallowed halls of chili.
There are multitudinous fresh chilis for adventurous eaters- with different combinations of chili powders, dried chilis, meats, gravy mixtures, legumes (that’s beans to us Southerners), cheeses, sour cream, slaws and guacamoles… There’s chili con carne, turkey chili, chicken chili, chili mac, chili and spuds, shredded beef chili, pork shoulder chili, beer chili, vegetarian chili… I could go on and on… The choices are legion!
You can put it in a bowl, on a hot dog, on chips, in a casserole. You can funnel it right down the old chute, or you can let it sit a while, which intensifies the flavors. Then there is the ability to freeze it and bring it out for quick chili satisfaction, keeping it’s wonderful properties even though iced down for months.
Some think that the acai berry was the first wonder food. But that’s not true. It was actually chili.
If you'd like to know more about the history of this wonderful dish, check out my blog HERE. Otherwise, let's get to the recipe. Here's what you need:
Ground Beef - Grass-fed from your local farmers if you can!
Beans - A classic ingredient for chili, you can choose to include this or not, depending on your dietary strictness. I go for a mix of black and cannellini.
Aromatics - Celery, onion, bell peppers add flavor and bulk to this meaty stew.
Tomatoes - Both canned and paste.
Spices - It just wouldn't be chili without chili powder. I also add cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and a chipotle pepper for heat.
complete instructions below
Miss Dot's Chili
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 25 min
Ready: 30 min
Ingredients
1lb. grass-fed ground beef
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 dried chipotle pepper, finely chopped
Half of a 5 oz. can tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained
15 oz. can organic diced tomatoes (I use my own home-canned tomatoes)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (about 1 cup), chopped
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. ground garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a large pot, saute the celery, onion and peppers in coconut oil for a few minutes. Add the beef and cook until almost done. Add a splash of water to make it a little soupy.
Add tomatoes, beans, spices and cilantro. Cook for a few more minutes to let the flavors mingle. Add the tomato paste to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste and add additional chili powder if you desire.
Hint: If you can wait, the chili is really much better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to mingle.
