It's hard to mess up this recipe so feel free to adjust it to your liking.They key part of it is the spice mixture.
I am curious what the results of a vegetarian version would be like but hey- in my world, pork fat rules!
Onion dicing technique.
Hot cherry peppers fresh picked from our garden!
Fan of the Muir Glen, not so much a fan of the Shaw's store brand pureebut it's doable and in the end, unnoticeable.
"It's spicy, Mom!" The cherry peppers were HOT!
Cut 8 slices of bacon into 1/2" pieces.Fry in a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat until browned, stirring often.
It helps to use a slotted spoon to remove the browned bacon.
Save 1-2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat (just keep it in the pot).
Meanwhile, chop up 1 onion and 4 small hot red bell peppers (or 1/2 of any pepper that suits your taste). Also chop up 3 cloves of garlic.
Get out your spices! To the veggie mix you will add:
2 Tb chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Turn the heat back on medium heat and cook the above ingredients all together, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the veggies are softened and beginning to brown.
Increase the heat to high and add 1 lb ground beef (85% lean). Cook, breaking up chunks, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the can of black beans and can of kidney beans in a colander.
Open a large (29 ounce) can of tomato puree and a small (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes. This time I tried Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes and they're great!
Dump the beans and tomatoes into the beef.
Bring the pot to a boil then turn down the heat and reduce to a simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. Remove the cover and simmer 1 hour longer.
Adjust the seasonings if necessary (usually I spy Alex doing things like adding hot sauce and chocolate).
Serve in a bowl topped with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a few cilantro leaves. Have Tostito chips on the side to dip into it.
