Chilli con Carne

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Chilli con Carne time!. It takes a hell of a long time to make, but it’s definitely worth it for the outcome! This is a great one to freeze and use for a later date. I usually make a very large batch and then that’s my dinner sorted for a few days over the course of several weeks.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 peppers
• 2 carrots
• 3 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 750g beef
• tin of kidney beans
• tin of rosecoco beans
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 100ml red wine
• 4.5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tins tomatoes
• plain yogurt
• 50g parmesan cheese

Firstly, cut up all the ingredients so they’re ready to use immediately. It’s a lot easier if you chop everything first, as there are a large number of steps and getting it out of the way will make it a lot clearer! So, cut the peppers, carrots and garlic into very small chunks, the beef into cubes (I’d say about half a centimetre long, though it’s totally up to you). Wash the beans thoroughly and place them in a bowl and set them aside.

Right so that’s the raw prep all done. Now dissolve the sugar in a pan with 100ml of water. Heat this until it caramelizes, so when it goes all golden and starts to bubble. Once it’s caramelized, add the white wine vinegar and turn down the heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic to this mixture.

Once that’s simmering away nicely, add the onions, the carrots, the peppers and the bay leaves. Cook this gently for around 8-10 minutes, then add the beef and cook for another 10. Don’t forget salt and pepper!

Now add the paprika flour mixture to the pot, this really helps the spices bind with the ingredients. Add your tomatoes and let simmer gently for around 45 minutes, stirring it every now and then. This is when I pour in the red wine - it will make your kitchen smell wonderful. If your chili is too watery don’t put a lid on it so that some of the water evaporates, you don’t want it to be too watery - it’s better when it’s more of a paste texture. After 45 minutes add the beans and cook for a last 15 minutes.

Serve it with a little dollop of plain yogurt, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. This can be served with rice/pasta/anything you want really. I usually go for brown rice, making it a sort of 'curry' if you will.

bon appetit