Chili con Carne

Ingredients

• •2 lbs ground beef
• •2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• •2 medium shallots
• •1 bell pepper
• •2 cloves garlic
• •2 cups beef stock
• •32 oz canned kidney beans
• •28 oz canned tomatoes
• •2 Tbsp chili powder
• •1 Tbsp oregano
• •1 Tbsp ground cumin
• •½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• •salt
• •pepper

Method

Adapted from maplewoodroad.com

1. 1Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. 2Add ground beef and brown it, using a wooden spoon to break it up for about 8 minutes.
3. 3Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it.
4. 4Add chopped shallots (or onion), bell pepper, and garlic.
5. 5Cook for another 5 minutes.
6. 6Add 2 cups of beef stock OR 1 cup of red wine and 1 cup of beef stock.
7. 7Add drained beans and tomatoes (which I don’t drain), and all the spices.
8. 8Stir and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes.
9. 9Reduce heat to a simmer.
10. 10At this point, it’s a good idea to taste again. Make sure the spices are balanced. Don’t worry about adding salt yet if it tastes under-salted. You might add more beef stock later, which will add more salt.
11. 11Cover and cook on low heat (when you lift the lid, it should just bubble but not boil) for about two hours.
12. 12Check and stir occasionally.
13. 13If it gets too dry, add more beef stock.
14. 14Tip: If you can’t wait any longer or your chili is too runny after simmering for two hours, just remove the lid, crank up the heat and let it reduce to your desired thickness. Just make sure to stir regularly so the meat doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
15. 15Add toppings.
16. 16Serve and enjoy!