Chili con carne

Miriam, author of Invitado de Invierno, brings us a recipe full of flavor, with a spicy kick you will love. Do you know the authentic chili con carne?

The chile con carne, for those who don't know it, is a spicy little stew of meat with peppers, tomato and beans. It is a dish that, contrary to what many think from the name, does not come from Mexico, but apparently originated in the southern United States, in the state of Texas.

The chile con carne is what Americans call comfort food, comforting food, which would be a hybrid between spoon food and home cooking, which is how we call here those recipes that are completely uncomplicated, but that comfort you and remind you of your mother's cooking. Or father's.

This chili con carne has a secret to make it so dark in color and succulent, a secret I learned some time ago: chocolate. A few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder give it depth and creaminess. Enjoy this luxurious, very easy and very satisfying dish.

Cocotte ovalada Le Creuset, Emile Henry ceramic plates, Masterclass round board, Emile Henry ramekins and Pallarès iron knife

Ingredients

• 750 g of minced meat
• 250 g of red beans or black beans, previously cooked with their broth
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 800 g of crushed tomato
• 4 cayenne peppers
• 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed allspice (can be substituted with a couple of crushed cloves)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Some of the beans' cooking broth
• A small glass of red wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

1. We chop the onion and the garlic. We cover the bottom of the casserole with oil (I have used the casserole) and sauté both until the onion is translucent.
2. We add the red and green peppers cut into strips. We continue sautéing the Set until the peppers become a bit limp.
3. When the vegetables are ready we increase the heat, make a well in the center of the vegetables and add the minced meat. Sear over high heat until the meat changes color.
4. We add the ground cayenne and give it a few stirs. The amount of heat is to the consumer's taste; with this amount the stew is moderately spicy.
5. We then pour in the crushed tomato and all the other seasonings: the honey, the vinegar, the red wine, the cumin, the oregano, the nutmeg, the allspice and the cocoa powder.
6. We add the beans drained of their liquid and season with salt.
7. Stir well, add beans' cooking liquid if the stew looks too dry, cover and let simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, watching that the liquid doesn't run out. The stew can be left as soupy as one likes, although the classic is for it to be fairly thick.

As you can see this chili con carne is one of those recipes that everyone can like and that we can prepare in huge quantities to freeze and have in reserve. In short, those dishes we parents who take care of household provisions like. Enjoy.

Cocotte ovalada Le Creuset, Emile Henry ceramic plates and Emile Henry ramekins