Chili with Lamb & Black Beans
Submitted by flurtuxable
A slow-simmered lamb chili with black beans, fresh ginger, allspice, and Zinfandel wine. Beans cook with lamb bones for deep flavor. Best made a day ahead for the richest taste.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
120 minREADY
10 hrsThis is not your standard bowl of red. This is a lamb chili built for people who want something with real complexity and depth.
Black beans soak overnight, then simmer for two hours with lamb bones and a bouquet garni until they’re creamy and infused with rich, meaty flavor.
Meanwhile, ground lamb shoulder gets browned with onions and garlic, then seasoned with a spice lineup that reads like a world tour: chili powder, fresh ginger, thyme, marjoram, allspice, cayenne, and both black and white pepper.
Roma tomatoes and Zinfandel wine bring it all together, creating a chili that’s earthy, warming, and layered in ways that surprise you with every spoonful.
The recipe even tells you to make it a day ahead. That’s not a suggestion. The overnight rest in the fridge lets those flavors meld into something extraordinary.
Chef Tips
- Don’t skip the lamb bones in the bean pot. They contribute gelatin and depth that no amount of seasoning can replicate.
- Fresh ginger is essential here. Dried ground ginger will give you a completely different (and less interesting) result.
- Save the bean cooking liquid. You’ll need it to adjust the consistency of the finished chili, and it’s packed with flavor.
- Make this on a Sunday, refrigerate overnight, and reheat Monday. The flavors need that time to develop fully.
Ingredients
Directions
FOR BEANS: Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water.
In a large saucepan, bring beans to a boil.
Add lamb bones and bouquet garni and 1 crushed garlic clove.
Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender but not mushy.
Skim occasionally and add more water if necessary to keep beans submerged.
2 hours.
FOR CHILI: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add 2 cloves garlic, minced, and stir about 3 minutes.
Transfer onion and garlic mixture to a plate, using a slotted spoon.
Add remaining oil to pan.
Increase heat to medium high.
Add lamb and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with spoon, about 6 minutes.
Return onion mixture to pan; add chili powder, ginger, thyme, red chili, marjoram, peppers and allspice.
Stir 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes ( and half of their liquid, if canned).
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add ¾ Cup of Zinfandel.
Simmer, skimming occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Drain beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
Discard the bones and garni.
Add beans and remaining Zinfandel to chili mixture.
Salt and season as necessary.
Simmer 30 minutes, adding bean cooking liquid as needed to keep chili moist (or soupy, as you like it).
This chili is best made ahead and allowed to season in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Reheat before serving.
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