Beef and Black Bean Chili
This is a great chili for company, just a
bit more refined than the standard kidney bean and burger
recipe.
Use local vegetables to go with your
local, grassfed beef.
Serves 4-6
1.5-2 pounds grassfed beef stew meat, top
round or sirloin tip, cut into bite-size cubes
oil or butter for browning
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 pint tomato juice or sauce
1 cup peeled and diced tomatoes (or 1 can
diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups cooked black beans (2 15-ounce
cans)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, if
available (the chili is good without it if cilantro isn’t
in season)
In a large fry pan at medium-high heat,
brown stew meat in small batches in oil or butter until richly
brown on all sides. Remove meat to slow cooker or casserole,
leaving oil in pan.
In same fry pan, cook and stir onion
until nearly translucent, adding more butter or oil if
necessary to keep pan from drying. Add garlic, and continue to
cook until garlic releases aromas. Add all remaining
ingredients except beans, and continue to cook and stir for 10
minutes. Add contents of pan to beef.
Cook chili in slow cooker on low setting
for 6 hours, or in covered casserole in oven for 3-4 hours at
250 degrees.
Add the black beans to the pot, and allow
to cook on low for another hour or until beans are warm. Just
before serving, stir in chopped fresh cilantro.
OPTIONS:
After beans are added to pot, beef broth
may be added to make a thinner chili, or tomato paste added to
make it thicker.
Serve chili with sour cream, shredded
cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions or shallots as
toppings.
