On Saturday, when it was so cool and gloomy and rainy, I developed a major craving for chili. Of course, by the time I had time to make the chili last night, the dish was totally inappropriate because the weather had gone hot and humid and sunny again.
But I already had all the ingredients so I went for it with a new recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Dinner: a Love Story. I didn’t do a good job of documenting the process with photos because I was feeling lazy. I had ground TD Niche pork and grass fed beef in the house, but no turkey, so I used the pork, which was a delightful substitute.
Halfway through his bowl, Matthew, who is the judge of any new recipe I make, deemed it a “keeper.” So you know its got to be good.
Pork Chili, adapted from “Dinner: A Love Story”
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Few glugs of olive oil
1 pound ground pork, turkey or beef
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons chili powder (I like to make my own chili powder. Double or triple this combination as needed: 1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked paprika; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsp garlic powder or the equivalent in fresh garlic)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (crucial)
1 14-ounce can black beans, drained
Directions:
Over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium-high and brown the meat until it loses its pink color. Add salt, pepper, and the chili powder—get it sizzly so the spices get cooking—and then add the tomatoes and the remaining spices.
Turn down the heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, and add the beans. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the beans are warmed through.
Serve with white, brown or multi-grain rice and any combination of the following: avocado chunks, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, sour cream.
