There comes a point every autumn when somebody looks outside, sees grey skies and decides that supper should be served from a pot large enough to survive a municipal emergency.
Chili is particularly useful because it's difficult to ruin, improves overnight, freezes well, and allows Captain Moonboot to claim he's cooking when he's mostly just opening cans.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Servings: 6 generous bowls
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40–45 minutes
Total Time: 55–60 minutes
The cooking time includes browning the ground beef, sautéing the onions, peppers and garlic, and simmering the chili until the flavours have blended and the sauce has thickened.
The combination of ground beef, kidney beans, black beans and tomatoes should provide 6 hearty servings, particularly when accompanied by crusty bread or cornbread.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, optional
- 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (5½ oz/156 mL) tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth or water
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt, then more to taste
- ¼ tsp cayenne, optional
Preparation
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Drain excess fat if necessary.
Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, pepper and cayenne. Cook for about 30 seconds.
This brief encounter with the hot pot wakes up the spices and makes it appear that considerably more culinary expertise is involved.
Cooking
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and broth.
Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and simmer for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For thicker chili, leave the lid off during the final 15 minutes. If it becomes thicker than you'd like, add a splash of broth or water.
Taste before serving and adjust the salt, pepper or chili powder.
🧀 Moonboot Topping Department
Put bowls of toppings on the table and allow everyone to assume responsibility for their own decisions:
Shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onion, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips or sliced jalapeños all work.
Captain Moonboot recommends cheese.
Captain Moonboot frequently recommends cheese.
🌙 Moonboot Modification: Tomorrow's Supper
Chili is one of those rare foods that often tastes better the next day.
Refrigerate the leftovers, reheat them slowly and serve over baked potatoes, rice or even tortilla chips with melted cheese.
You have now cooked twice while actually cooking only once.
The World HQ Efficiency Department considers this an outstanding result.
🥕 Meatless Modification
Leave out the beef and add another can of beans—pinto beans or chickpeas work nicely—plus about 1 cup diced mushrooms or corn.
Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Nobody needs to stand beside the pot repeatedly announcing that it is vegetarian. The chili already knows.
🔥 Questionable Decision Modification
Add a second jalapeño and increase the cayenne.
For anyone tempted to escalate directly to habaneros, remember an important principle established elsewhere in this cookbook:
Supper should not require informed consent.
From the Captain's Log
Chili is particularly well suited to Captain Moonboot cooking because the official procedure is essentially:
Brown something.
Open several cans.
Dump everything into one pot.
Wait.
Then, when somebody says it tastes good, nod thoughtfully as though the entire operation depended upon your careful supervision.
Never underestimate the culinary importance of looking like you had a plan. 😁🌶️
🚨 WORLD HQ FILING NOTICE: Recipe #9 officially adds chili to Making Salsa: Recipes & Other Bad Decisions from Captain Moonboot. It also gives the Recipe Images Department something appropriately messy to photograph.