Lamb-And-Black Bean Chili
Submitted by itsme22031
A Mexican mole-inspired chili with cubed lamb, black beans, toasted tortilla and seed thickener, warming spices, and a square of unsweetened chocolate. Deep, complex, nothing like a Texas chili.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is chili with serious Mexican mole DNA. Forget your standard ground beef and tomato. Cubes of lamb get browned hard, then simmered in a sauce thickened the traditional way: with toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds blitzed with a dry corn tortilla into a coarse meal that gives the broth body and a deep nuttiness.
A single ounce of unsweetened chocolate melts into the pot to round out the warm spices, contributing depth and a faint bitterness without making it taste like dessert. Cinnamon, cloves, and cumin layer in like they would in a real Oaxacan mole, building a flavor that’s smoky, slightly sweet, slightly bitter, and complex enough to stop you mid-spoonful.
Serve with the remaining baked tortilla chips for dipping, sour cream, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.
Pro Tips
- Toast the seeds and almonds carefully. Dark-toasted nuts turn the chili bitter, but raw seeds taste pale.
- Don’t substitute sweetened chocolate or cocoa powder. Unsweetened (baking) chocolate is the only one that brings the right balance.
- Use lamb shoulder or leg cut into bite-sized cubes. Avoid lean lamb loin; it dries out during the long simmer.
- Drain and rinse canned black beans before adding (the recipe omits this step) to avoid a slick, salty broth.
- Make this a day ahead. Chili built around mole-style ingredients gets dramatically better overnight.
Variations
- Swap lamb for cubed pork shoulder or beef chuck if lamb isn’t your thing.
- Add a couple of dried, toasted ancho or pasilla chiles to the puree for more authentic mole depth.
- Top with crumbled queso fresco or cotija and quick-pickled red onion for color and contrast.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Place 6 corn tortillas on a largebaking sheet; bake for 8 minutes or until crisp.
Repeat procedure with remaining 5 tortillas; set aside.
Place almonds and sesame seeds on a large baking sheet; bake for 5 minutes.
Add pumpkinseed kernels; bake an additional 10 minutes.
Combine 1 toasted corn tortilla, almonds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seed kernels in a food processor; Spoon mi xture into a bowl; set aside. Trim far from leg of lamb; cut lamb into ¾ i nch cubes. Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray, and place over medium-hi gh hear until hot. Add lamb cubes, and sauté 5 minutes or until meat is lightly browned. Drain in a colander, and set aside. Wipe drippings from pat with a pa per towel. Recoat pan with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add chili powder, cinn amon, cloves, and cumin; sauté 1 minute. Place onion mixture in a food processor; add ½ cup water. Return puréed onion mixture to Pan. Place chopped tomatoes in Food p rocessor, and process until smooth. Pour puréed tomatoes into pan. Add ground teaspoon ortilla mixture and chocolate to pan, and cook over low heat 4 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Return lamb to pan; cover and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Comments
