Recipe: next-level chili con carne
Chili con carne is often made with ground beef, but if you really want to do it properly, use beef stewing meat and let it cook slowly. Forget the kidney beans; for this dish, you need chipotle and adobo. These dried and smoked jalapeños in a spicy sauce are available at some larger supermarkets, and otherwise you can find them online. They give the stew a wonderfully deep and subtly smoky flavor, so don’t skip them!
How to make the chili con carne
- Put the chipotle, chili flakes, pepper and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil; let it simmer over low heat for approx. 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender or the cup of an immersion blender and purée until smooth.
- Heat sunflower oil in a heavy-based casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Make sure there is enough space between the pieces of meat, otherwise they will steam. Work in batches if necessary. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
- If necessary, heat a little more oil in the pan and gently fry the onion and garlic over low heat until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cumin, allspice, oregano, cocoa, smoked paprika and nutmeg and fry for approx. 1 minute, until all the aromas are released.
- Return the meat to the pan together with the chipotle mixture and just enough water to cover the meat. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Let everything cook for approx. 1.5–2 hours, until you can easily pull the meat apart with a fork while it still retains some firmness.
- Divide the meat among plates and top with the cilantro, scallions and cheese. Serve with the tortilla chips, sour cream and avocado.
WINE TIP: Salentein Single Vineyard El Tomillo Malbec
A spicy and robust dish calls for a wine that is just as spicy and robust. The bold Malbec grape produces wines in Argentina with plenty of power and ripe black fruit, making it ideal with chili con carne. An extra plus: the soft tannins and pleasant acidity of this beautiful Salentein wine. By the way, did you know that Argentina produces more than 75% of all Malbec wines worldwide? This stunning example is also currently on offer.
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