Here’s one of my favorite dishes to make when I need a big pot of something good to serve a crowd. We make this for big USC games when we’re entertaining all of our Trojan friends. This is a red chili with a good kick to it from the chipotle chili powder. And of course, tradition mandates that we always serve it with Fritos.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
1 tablespoon sea salt
ground pepper
3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
3 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 bottle of beer (I like an amber or lager)
Accompaniments:
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Fritos corn chips
Preparation:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt to sweat them. Sauté onions for about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cumin. Sauté for another minute, then add all of the chili powders and mix well, letting the chili powder toast for about another minute. Then add ground beef and season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring until the beef is browned. Add in crushed tomatoes and beer. Bring the mixture to a boil, then bring the heat down so the chili simmers for an hour, stirring occasionally and skimming off the fat with a spoon from the top as it forms. Then add in kidney beans and mix. Let simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve hot with accompaniments.
