MK's Homemade Chili

If there's one thing I love about the cold months and food -  it's chili - lots and lots of really good homemade chili. I've finally developed - taken from many spaces and places - a hearty, spicy recipe of my own.

MK's Homemade Chili

8-10 cloves of garlic - minced

1 med size onion (2 cups) - chopped

1/2 tsp salt

2 T neutral oil - such as grapeseed

2 lbs of ground beef (I use the leanest I can get - 93% lean, 7% fat typically)

2-3 T chili powder - I just got a delicious 'medium hot' chili powder from Penzeys Spices in the Strip District of Pittsburgh - just the right amount of heat!

1 tsp cumin

28 oz of diced tomatoes (I usually buy the kind with green chili's in it)

1 T red wine vinegar

2 cans of beans (you can use all kidney beans, or a combo of kidney, white or black beans)

salt/pepper to taste

optional, if you have it:

mushrooms - sauteed

parsley

shredded cheese

sour cream

Preparation and Cook time: 1 - 3 hours

- Heat the neutral oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onions, minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt - saute until soft, about 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent browning.

- Add the ground meat and fry until browned, stirring often.

- Add the chili powder and cumin to the browned meat and stir, mixing the flavors for about two minutes.

- Add the diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and two cups of beef stock (or water) and bring to a boil.

- Add the kidney beans and salt/pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes to 2 hours. The longer the chili simmers, the more the flavors marry and the more delicious the chili becomes. 

- While the chili simmers you can add sauteed mushrooms if you have them. You can also add about a 1/4 cup of parsley about 5 minutes before you finish cooking

- Serve hot and garnish with parsley - add shredded cheese and sour cream for additional texture flavors.

Yummmmm!

xo, cheers, namaste,

MK