Food and Drink

“Secret” Ingredient Chili to Knock Your Socks Off

ChiliOkay, so it’s been a little while since I’ve posted a recipe on here; it’s about time I did! I actually have two chili recipes. One, my seven pepper chili recipe, I’ll have to share later. It’s super spicy, and since I’m breastfeeding, and little man is not as much a fan of the spice as the rest of us, I won’t be making it for a bit. The other is a recipe I’ve been perfecting for a little while, and I’m ready to share it. It is delicious.

April_01__2016_at_0616PMYou see, a few months ago, I got the bright idea that perhaps I should do something to keep the heat in the chili (because, let’s face it, who wants chili that’s not very spicy?). This “secret” ingredient to my chili not only allows me to keep the heat, but it makes it so that the chili pairs really nicely with some of the richer wines in our cellar. In fact, the first time I made it, I paired it with a Chateau Ste. Michelle 2012 Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has subtle notes of chocolate and nutmeg. 

Guess what I added to the chili?

I added chocolate and nutmeg. I know! It seems so crazy, but I was thinking if a Mexican molé is made with chocolate to help tame the spice and add richness, why can’t I add it to my chili. And, I’m sure there are like five thousand chocolate chili recipes out there that already exist. 

It's hard to think this big guy was once a picky eater.
It’s hard to think this big guy was once a picky eater.

Here’s a funny story before I get to the recipe. When my oldest son (that’s him in his bowling team photo) was much younger, say 5, he was an extremely picky eater. I taught him to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches based upon a suggestion from another mom friend, and that curbed a lot of the picky eating habits (if he didn’t want what I’d made, he could make himself such a sandwich). However, it didn’t curb all of the picky eating. He just wouldn’t eat any red meats or pork or chicken. He liked chocolate. So, when he would say “What’s for dinner?” I would say, “Steak.” He would respond with, “I don’t like steak.” I would respond with, “But it’s chocolate steak. You like chocolate.” Guess what? He would eat said steak. Then he would say “I don’t like steak; but I like chocolate steak.”

I added this dark beer to the chili in addition to the chocolate.
I added this dark beer to the chili in addition to the chocolate – and it made a nice beverage to enjoy with the chili at dinner!

Of course, there was no chocolate in the steak, or the chicken, or the pork. I lied to my kid. There it is. He found out about it several months later at my sister’s house in New Orleans. Her kids were all “That’s not chocolate!” And so, yeah, the spell was broken, but he would pretty much eat anything I made following that. 

So, I think of that story when I make this chili.  Of course, there is chocolate in this recipe. 

So this time around, I used canned beans. It made enough for 3 adult and 1 toddler-sized portions for 4 days. Crazy, right? I wanted to spend time unpacking and doing taxes instead of cooking, though, so that’s what I did. I served it over couscous with some cheddar cheese. 

 

 

Wining Wife's® "Secret" Ingredient Chili
Chili with the added benefit of chocolate added
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Ingredients
  1. 6 14 oz. cans of kidney beans
  2. 2 14 oz. cans of black beans
  3. 2 28 oz. cans of fire roasted tomatoes
  4. 1 12 oz. bottle of dark beer
  5. 1 bar of Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chocolate
  6. 1 lb. of pork Italian sausage
  7. 1 lb. of chicken Italian sausage
  8. 2 onions
  9. 4 cloves of garlic
  10. 1 packet of your favorite chili mix
  11. 1 tablespoon chili powder
  12. 1 tsp cumin
  13. 1 tsp nutmeg
  14. 1 tsp oregano
  15. 1 tsp thyme
  16. 1 tsp cilantro
  17. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  18. 1 tsp sea salt
  19. 1 4oz can chopped hot chilies
  20. 1 bell pepper
  21. several grinds of black pepper
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and sauté in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Once onion becomes transparent, add garlic, seasoning packet, and other dried herbs. When fragrant, add the sausage and brown sausage. Deglaze pan by adding the bottle of beer. Cook until beer reduces, about 7 minutes. Rinse canned beans and add them to the pot along with the tomatoes, canned diced chilies, and bell pepper. If needed, add water or broth to pot until beans are just barely covered. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, break chocolate bar up and add to pot. Cook until beans are tender. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over couscous with cheese and sour cream.
The Well-Caffeinated Mom https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/

Ronda Bowen

Ronda Bowen is a writer, editor, and independent scholar. She has a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Northern Illinois University and a B.A. in Philosophy, Pre-Graduate Option, Honors in the Major from California State University, Chico. When she is not working on client projects from her editorial consulting business, she is writing a novel. In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, wine, martinis, copious amounts of coffee, reading, watching movies, sewing, crocheting, crafts, hanging out with her husband, and spending time with their teenage son and infant daughter.

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