80% as good as good chili, but only 20% of the effort.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins – 3 hours
Yield:
6 servings
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
0.33 tsp baking soda
3 whole dried Ancho, Pasilla, or Mulato chiles
3 whole dried New Mexico, California, or Choricero chiles
2 (optional for spicy) whole New Mexico red, California, costeño, or choricero chiles
2 tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon (see notes) | (12 g)
2 cups water
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin | (3 g)
0.5 tsp ground coriander | (1.5 g)
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground black pepper
1 pinch clove
4 cloves garlic
1.5 tsp finely ground coffee | (5 g)
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (see notes)
2 tsp fish sauce (or Worcestershire)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp onion powder | (8 g)
2 tbsp brown sugar
0.25 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp table salt, plus more to taste | (12 g)
3 cans beans (Kidney, Pinto, and/or Black), with their liquid
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
0.25 cup vodka or cheap bourbon
Instructions
Seed the chiles and remove the stems. Tear into 1”-sized pieces.
Add the dried chiles, bouillon, water, oregano, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, clove, garlic, coffee, chocolate, fish sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, onion powder, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth (about 2 minutes).
In a large Dutch oven, add beef and sprinkle over baking soda. Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat.
Pour the blended mixture into the Dutch oven with the beef. Bring the entire mixture to a boil.
Add the beans (with some or all of their liquid depending on how thin you want your chili to be), crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Taste for seasoning. Stir in vodka/bourbon.
Notes
Chicken stock would be better than bouillon. Use 2 cups of chicken stock, omit the water, and add some additional salt.
Instead of unsweetened chocolate, you can use 17.5 g cocoa powder (about 1 rounded tbsp).