Chili -- Because This Weather Sux!

We have a winner here. I put a pot together, grabbed some tortillas and took it down to "the girls" at 3 Cups Coffee House. I'm not getting enough beans in my diet, and we're working to correct that --



Allison Wunderland's
SouthWestern Style
Black Bean / Pinto Bean
(It Ain’t Soup)
Vegeterranian Chili

8 Qt. Stock Pot – Larger might be a good idea . . . Heavy bottom so it won’t stick. Cast Iron is good!

Build a sauce . . . Measures are approx. I used a measure this time, but mostly I go by experience.

In olive oil:

2 yellow onions ½" dice
½ cup minced garlic (I use CostCo minced in a jar.)

Sweat until onions turn color

1 Anaheim Pepper , veined and seeded – ½" dice
1 Problano Pepper , veined and seeded – ½" dice
Couple Jalpeno – I used escabeche, pickled in the can. Fresh is good.
We didn’t do Green Pepper (2 or 3) because they’re $1.29 ea. @ Fred’s, and I ain’t shelling out! But Gr. Pep’s are swell!
Its’ CHILI – you’re the chef. Take charge of your pepper pallet. (I’d avoid habenero / Scotch bonnet!)
Sweat a bit more . . .

2 Qt. Tomato sauce
12 oz Tomato paste
2 cup diced tomato (In the can works. I had fresh Roma.)
2 cup Pace Picante . . . more or less two cup.

Bring to simmer. – bring up heat as we add the beans . . .

4 Qt. Soaked beans – 50/50 Pinto & Black Bean (Soaked 12 hrs. rinsed, drained.)

1 Tbs HEAPED dried California chili
1 Tbs HEAPED dried Arbol chili
3 Tbs REALLY HEAPED cumin
Its’ CHILI – you’re the chef. Take charge of your pepper pallet. (I’d avoid habenero / Scotch bonnet!)

12 ea. Corn Tortilla – minced. (Masa Farina works too.) This thickens the sauce, completes the bean protein.

Should be at about 30 min. so far . . . and about 7 ½ Qts

Stir, stir, combine, stir . . . Should be thick enough to stand a heavy spoon, solids should sit ABOVE the sauce.

Bring to a simmer, cover adjust the heat, and go check what Maggie is up to . . .

Maggie is our favorite child at 3 Cups Coffee House:



Keep heat low simmer to keep from sticking. STIR to bottom to keep from sticking – because it’s THICK and will fry to the bottom of the pot! I use a square ended bamboo spatula (turner/flipper) to scrape the bottom of the pot while stirring. I stir a lot, check and stir, adjust heat.

Adjust, adding water to pot as ingredients cook and expand. (Beer works too!) But it ain’t SOUP! Not too much water! You’ll be happier with the beer in the cook, not in the chili. Beans should sit ON the sauce, not hide under it. Adjust chili peppers while cooking, to taste. I’m probably going to add MORE CUMIN – couple more Tbs . . .

It’s done when the beans are tender, falling apart. I don’t like chewy, granular beans -- looking at 4 hrs. We want them beans tender as a mother’s love! Speaking of mothers and love: I’d add wheat germ and brewer’s yeast, just because.