Beef and Bean Chili (in progress)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- couple tbsp tomato paste
- 6 carrots, diced
- 0.5 kg ground beef
- spice blend, see below
- 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 can of black kidney beans
- 3/4 c beef broth
- sour cream, for serving
Spice Blend
- 1/2 tbsp cumin + more to taste
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp smoked paprika + more to taste
- 1/2 tbsp oregano + more to taste
- cayenne to taste
- chili flakes to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven, heat some olive oil over moderately low heat and cook the onions in it for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened and browning on the edges.
Add the tomato paste, garlic and carrots and cook for one minute more. Raise the heat to medium and add the beef, stirring and breaking up any lumps until it is cooked through and no longer pink.
Add the spice blend and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, broth and vinegar and simmer the chili, covered, for 20 minutes or so. Continue tasting and dumping in spices, salt, pepper and beef broth until it seems right for you. Add the kidney beans and bell peppers and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or more, until the bell peppers are tender and chili feels like a cohesive mass instead of a bunch of disparate ingredients in a pot.
Serve with sour cream.