A Very Tasty Chili
Submitted by babygirlwalsh
Smoky beef chili with toasted dried chiles, habanero heat, and kidney beans. Toast, blend, and simmer for deep chile flavor that’ll ruin you for canned chili powder forever.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1¼ hrsREADY
1½ hrsThis chili takes the long way around, and you’ll taste the difference in every spoonful. Instead of reaching for a spice jar, you’ll toast whole dried red chiles and chipotles in a hot pan until they smell like heaven, then rehydrate and purée them into a rich, complex chile paste.
A fresh habanero brings serious heat (adjust to your courage level), while cumin and oregano add warmth without overpowering those gorgeous toasted chile notes. The ground beef simmers in this flavor bomb along with tomatoes and kidney beans until everything melds together.
It’s the kind of chili that converts people who think they don’t like chili.
Pro Tips
- Toast the dried chiles just until fragrant (30-60 seconds per side), watching closely so they don’t burn and turn bitter
- Save some of the chile soaking water for thinning the purée to your preferred consistency
- Wear gloves when handling the habanero, or wash your hands thoroughly (trust us on this one)
- Simmer uncovered at the end to concentrate flavors and achieve that thick, clingy chili texture
- Make it a day ahead since chili always tastes better after the flavors have time to marry in the fridge
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the tops off the dried chiles.
Toast them in a hot frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant and then soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.
Liquidise them with some of the soaking water.
Roughly chop the habanero and the garlic and add them to the liquidiser along with the cumin and origano.
Purée some more.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until softened.
Add the meat and cook until browned. Add the chile purée, tomatoes and beans.
Cover and simmer for at least half an hour.
Uncover, raise the heat a little and allow the excess liquid to evaporate (about 10 minutes).
Serve it any way you fancy.
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