Chili con Carne

By Culiora

A rich, hearty chili con carne with deep flavor from cumin, oregano, and a touch of dark chocolate. The ground beef is browned until golden, then simmered until tender with tomatoes, garlic, and kidney beans. Serve piping hot with rice, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 50 min
• Total time: 65 min

Ingredients

• 500 g ground beef
• 1 pcs yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 clove garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pcs red bell pepper, diced
• 1 pcs red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil for frying
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pcs crushed tomatoes (400 g can)
• 2.5 dl beef stock (water and cube or bouillon)
• 1 pcs kidney beans (approx. 400 g can, drained and rinsed)
• 15 g dark chocolate (at least 70%)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

1. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the finely chopped yellow onion and red bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened and turned translucent without taking on too much color.
3. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking it up, for about 5–6 minutes until completely browned.
4. Stir in the garlic, fresh chili, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes to toast the spices and develop the tomato paste's rich sweetness.
5. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in the drained kidney beans and dark chocolate. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes until the chili has thickened to a rich, hearty consistency.
8. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice, and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed before serving.