Cabin Fever Chili

Ingredients

Meat Mix

1 cup/225 g /8 oz diced applewood-smoked bacon

1 lb/455 g / 16oz ground beef

1 lb/455 g / 16oz ground pork

Vegetable Mix

1 yellow onion, minced (7oz)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 poblano chile, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

Spice Mix

3 tbsp dark chili powder (a rich and fruity blend, such as McCormick’s, can be found in grocery stores)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground chipotle chile powder

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp Spanish smoked paprika (the sweet version, not the hot)

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ tsp coarse salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Canned Goods

One 15-oz/430-g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

One 15-oz/430-g can navy beans, rinsed and drained

One 12-oz/360-ml bottle American lager

One 14½-oz/415-g can crushed tomatoes

One 14½-oz/415-g can diced tomatoes with juice

For Serving

Shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar

Chopped fresh cilantro

Chopped scallions

Directions

In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly crisp. Add the beef and pork and brown, stirring occasionally and breaking up any clumps with your spoon, until nicely browned all over, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the Spice Mix and Vegetable Mix and cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring often to coat the meat and vegetables with the spices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, navy beans, and beer until combined. Add the crushed and diced tomatoes. Turn the heat to low and simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the chili into soup bowls and sprinkle with the cheese, cilantro, and scallions, or pass them at the table. Serve immediately.

Notes

Chili is a romantic idea—you throw in a little of this and a little of that on a winter’s afternoon, and eventually, everyone gathers around and says how delicious it is. But while you don’t need to be obsessive about measurements, it is possible to screw up chili. That’s why chili recipes exist. Still, it would be nice to be able to put a great chili together without poring over a cookbook, which is why I’ve created a recipe with a rough outline of how, exactly, a great batch of chili is constructed, to encourage improvisation. Why? Because there are few more personal dishes than chili, and you should develop your own. Below is a recipe you can follow to the letter. These quantities may be quadrupled (use two stockpots), and the proportions will remain perfectly balanced.

Serves: 6

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Bryan Voltaggio @ Range