- 2 medium/large spanish onions
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2lbs lean (80%) ground beef
- 2x 800ml cans dark red kidney beans
- 2x 680ml cans tomato sauce ("all-purpose", the kind with spices and no chunks)
- whatever spices below that you don't already have
- chili powder (the metaspice, with ground chilis/oregano/garlic/etc)
- cumin
- cayenne powder
- crushed chili flakes
- "ground mexican chilies" (another metaspice, with ground hot peppers and paprika among others, usually in speciality/ethnic spice section)
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- bay leaves
- coffee
Heat a large saucepot to ~180C on the stove (medium heat)
Dice the onions.
Mince the garlic.
Assemble spice mix:
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp cayenne powder
- 1.5 tsp crushed chili flakes
- 1 tsp ground mexican chilies
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
Mix the spices until fully homogenous.
Preopen the cans of tomato sauce.
Open and pour the cans of kidney beans into a strainer, rinse them thoroughly with cold water, and set strainer over a bowl to drain.
Prepare to pull a shot of espresso or brew a bit of strong coffee (using instant is ok if you don't have coffee gear)
- Add enough cooking oil (canola or similar) to cover the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the diced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally.
- Once onions are translucent (do not let onions brown), add garlic.
- Once garlic is fully aromatic (3 or 4 minutes), turn the heat to high.
- When the stove and pot have reached high heat (loud frying sounds), add the ground beef.
- Break beef up with spoon while stirring until beef/onions/garlic are homogenous.
- Cook beef at high heat until fully browned, stirring regularly and ensuring onions/garlic do not brown or burn.
- Turn heat to max and stir in spice mix. Cook on max for about a minute, until spices are fully aromatic.
- Pour in both cans of tomato sauce, and stir thoroughly until completely homogenous.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat down to med-low.
- Add bay leaves (2 large or ~4 medium).
- Let simmer/reduce (uncovered) for 1 hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes.
- Make and stir in coffee: 1 shot of espresso or 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
- Gently stir in kidney beans.
- Allow the chili to come back to a boil, then simmer for another 30 minutes
- Turn off heat, let cool for a bit, pick out bay leaves, then serve and/or refrigerate
- I like serving it with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream on top and tortilla chips on the side
- It tastes even better the next day fyi