Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Fiery Beef and Black Bean Chili


Yield: A pot full of chili
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: at least 4 hours in a slow cooker or longer if desired.


1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds organic hormone and antibiotic free beef roast (chuck or tri tip work well in this recipe), cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (I like the San Marzano brand)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained (If you like black beans, use 2 cans)
2 or more tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro
Ripe avocado, diced into ½-inch pieces
Red, ripe tomatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces


Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown the beef in batches using additional oil as needed. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove the browned beef to a platter (or cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to place into the slow cooker).

Place the beef into the slow cooker. Add the diced onion, red pepper, garlic, Chipotle peppers, corn, diced tomatoes, tomatoes and black beans. Season with chili powder and cumin. You can add more later on. Set the slow cooker on high for at least 4 hours or longer. After about 1 hour, stir the chili and adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper and additional chili powder.

When you are ready to serve, offer bowls or mugs of chili with toppings of sour cream, fresh cilantro, avocado chunks and diced ripe tomatoes.

Sources and Substitutions
You can purchase canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the ethnic section of the grocery store. These babies are hot! Take care in handling them. I seed them for this recipe, but if you like a lot of spice, chop one leaving the seeds inside, and place this into the pot.

1 comment:

Mary A. said...

I'm always looking for new things to put in my crockpot - can't wait to try this one as the fall weather sets in!

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