Beef Chili With Bacon and Black Beans

Bev's Note:

I found this recipe in the March, 2003 issue of Cook's Illustrated Magazine. We just love this chili and hope that you will, too! It is best served with the optional condiments, the more variety, the better! The flavor is better if you make it a day or two before and then reheated, which means it makes great leftovers, too ;) Freezes well up to one month.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 8 strips)
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2 lbs 85% lean ground beef
• 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• table salt, to taste
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Optional Condiments

• fresh tomato, diced
• avocado, diced
• scallion, sliced
• red onion, chopped
• cilantro leaf, chopped
• sour cream
• shredded monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot.
3. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
7. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened.
8. Adjust seasoning with additional salt.
9. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Reviews

[zzzdreamerzzz]

Note: I didn't have any ground coriander so it was left out. Didn't have the pureed tomatoe so I used about 2 cups of tomatoe juice and a 650 ml. jar of Presidents Choice Extra Chunky mild salsa. I used 1 can each of red kidney and black beans instead of 2 cans of black beans. This was the best chilli i've ever made.
One thing I would do different is more bacon and in bigger chunks.

[Leahcooks]

I was really excited about making this chili for SuperBowl Sunday. Overall, the chili was good. I was disappointed that the bacon didn't shine through more. I really couldn't even tell it was in there. I love bacon and that was the main reason I wanted to try it. The black beans were a nice change from the regular kidney beans though. The spices were nice and it had a very hearty flavor. However, I felt that the work and time I put into it, didn't pay out in the end. It was good, but I was expecting it to be great based on reviews as well as ingredients. I thought the avocado was a GREAT addition to it though. It provided a different texture to the chili that I really liked. I asked my husband who's very critical of my cooking if he liked it and he said "YES, but it tastes just like the chili you normally make." So, I probably won't make it again, not because it wasn't good, more because the payout wasn't as great as I'd hoped for the amount of time and work I put into making it.

[608905]

My dad said that this was to die for; my mom called it the best chili she's ever had; and my husband had piping-hot bowls of it for dinner three nights in a row, to the rim! Even my 4 year old wanted to eat it, and that's saying a lot. This is SO going in my Recipe Hall of Fame stash :). Thanks for generously sharing it with the rest of us--you're doing your part for the good of humankind!