Mexican Chocolate Chili

This chili borrows from Mexican mole, where unsweetened cocoa and cinnamon turn up alongside chiles in a slow-cooked sauce. The same trick lifts a chili from standard to layered, with the cocoa adding bitter depth and the cinnamon throwing off a faint sweetness that pairs with the cumin.

The meat method is the first surprise. You cook the pork and beef until gray but not browned, around 20 minutes. That’s intentional: browning develops one kind of flavor, gentle cooking preserves another, and this recipe wants the second. The result is a meat-forward chili where the seasonings carry the depth instead of the maillard.

Masa harina goes in at the end and is the other smart move. Two tablespoons of corn-flour thickens the chili and adds a subtle masa flavor, which is how Tex-Mex restaurants get that distinct rounded chili character.

Beans are listed as optional here. The chili stands as a beanless Texas-style stew, or you can serve cooked pinto beans alongside or stirred in. Either way is right.

Chef Tips

• Use unsweetened cocoa, not Dutch-process for this. Natural cocoa has the right bitterness for chili.
• Two tablespoons of cinnamon sounds aggressive but it works. Cut to one if you’re nervous, you can always add more.
• Simmer uncovered as the recipe says. Covered simmering keeps the chili watery instead of concentrating the sauce.
• Toast the masa harina in a dry pan for a minute before stirring in for a nuttier finish.

Variations

• Add a couple of dried ancho chiles (toasted and ground) for traditional mole-leaning depth.
• Stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar at the end for a Cincinnati-style sweet finish.
• Top with crumbled queso fresco, pickled red onion, and chopped cilantro.