"My feeling about chili is this: Along in November, when the first northern strikes, and the skies are gray, along about five o'clock in the afternoon, I get to thinking how good chili would taste for supper. It always lives up to expectations. In fact, you don't even mind the cold November winds."
– Lady Bird Johnson, U.S. First Lady
I love chili. It's such a comforting dish. I love that it has as many variations as Eskimos have words for snow. Proponents of each recipe (Texas, Cincinnati, Louisville, Beans, No Beans...) insist that theirs is the best. So I thought I'd share my version of the perfect chili.
Since Andrew doesn’t eat mammal I found a turkey version (thanks to Rachel Ray) and made a few modifications to suit our taste buds. It is now my go to chili recipe and always gets rave reviews. It even won a chili cook-off competition!
This year it'll just be the two of us for Christmas. I think I'll stir up a batch for us to enjoy. It may just be a new holiday tradition!
Extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons)
2 packages ground turkey(about 1 lb each)
2 tablespoons dark chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, any brand
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to extra-spicy
1 large onion (diced)
2 large red Bell Peppers (diced)
2 cups roasted corn kernels*
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies (well drained)
2 cans Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 bottle beer, about 1 cup
1 (14oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (smoky if you have it)
1 can diced jalapenos
Heat a large pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and the turkey meat. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles. Brown the turkey for about 5 minutes. Season the meat with the chili powder, red pepper flakes, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce, then transfer the mixture to large a pot or Dutch oven.
In the same large pan, sauté the diced onions and bell peppers until softened and most of the water has cooked out. (NOTE: If using frozen corn, sauté it along with the onions and peppers, if using freshly roasted corn, add it along with the remaining ingredients). Add the sautéed onions, peppers and corn along with the Ro-Tel tomatoes and black beans to the cooked turkey mixture and stir to combine.
Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, then add the half bottle of beer, tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. Add jalapenos and let chili simmer for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from heat and serve.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings – will serve more as a potluck dish
*If you don’t have the time or inclination to roast the corn: 1 pkg of Trader Joes frozen “Fire Roasted Corn” (16oz) is perfect.
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