This Mexican inspired chili has a real personality – heat, depth and texture. It’s so much more interesting than basic American chili. Don’t let the number of ingredients deter you – it’s worth every spicy, savory bite.
You can knock this recipe out in under an hour because it doesn’t need to simmer that long. 30 minutes tops! And it’s a cost effective meal too, coming in at about $3 per 12oz serving.
One of the keys with this chili (and with all for that matter) is the layering of the spices. You do this by waiting until the end to add a few of the key spices. This makes them more vibrant and avoids any bitterness that can come by cooking too long.
You might also notice the cornbread has appeared again – well, there are few things more suited to chili than cornbread. “Amen”.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Beef - Prefer 90% sirloin
- 1 lb Ground chorizo
- 1.5 cups White onion - medium dice
- 2 whole Poblano peppers - roasted, skinned, diced
- 1 whole Jalapeno pepper - seeded and diced
- 4 cloves Garlic - minced
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes - large can
- 14 oz Diced fire-roasted tomatoes - drained
- 3.5 oz Chipotle pepper in adobo - chopped with liquid
- 3 cups Beef stock
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup Alamo chili mix
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 14 oz Seasoned black beans - drained
- 14 oz Fire-roasted corn - drained
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Garnish
- Cotija cheese - grated
- Fresh cilantro - chopped
Instructions
- Mise en place.
- Turn a burner on MED HIGH and place poblanos over them, turning frequently until skin is well charred on all sides. Place peppers in ziplock bag while you brown the meat. Remove from bag and using a paring knife, scrape skins off. Remove seeds from the center and dice peppers.
- In cast iron pan, brown beef in two batches. Drain and set aside in bowl.
- Simultaneously, in a wide 6 quart pot over high heat, brown chorizo breaking it into small pieces as you cook. Remove chorizo with slotted spoon, add to bowl of cooked beef, leaving fat behind. Reduce heat slightly. Add onions and jalapeno, sautee until onions turn translucent – 2-3 min. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, mix and cook one minute.
- Add tomatoes, diced poblano, chopped adobo, stock, water, chili mix and meat to the pot and combine well. Quickly bring to a simmer, reduce heat then simmer 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently throughout and taste.
- In final minutes, turn off heat, add the beans and corn. Stir in cocoa and cinnamon. Season to taste. Allow to cool, serve in bowls with garnishes.
