Best Damn Chili
A moderately spicy chili that has smokey flavors. The heat builds as you eat.
Ingredients
Chili
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 Anaheim chile pepper chopped
- 2 red jalapeno pepper chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pinch garlic powder or to taste
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 12 fluid ounce can or bottle light beer (such as Coors(R))
- 1 28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 12 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 16 ounce cans dark red kidney beans (such as Bush's(R))
Topping
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
Chili
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, jalapeno peppers, and garlic in the hot oil until softened.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; add Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Crumble bouillon cubes over beef and add beer. Continue to cook , scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until liquid is hot, about 3 minutes. Stir beef mixture into pepper mixture.
- Stir crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine to the beef mixture. Season with chili powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, brown sugar, pepper sauce, basil, paprika, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until meat and vegetables are very tender and flavors have developed in the chili, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix kidney beans into beef and vegetables. Continue to simmer until beans are hot, about 30 minutes more.
Topping
- Blend sour cream, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in a food processor until smooth. Serve sour cream mixture with chili.
