I lived in Taos, New Mexico for many years and developed this recipe from inspiring pots of chili bubbling on the backs of neighbor’s stoves. When I first moved there, I was cooking on a wood stove, and having a big pot of stew or chili keeping warm was not just welcoming, it was practical.
Chili lends itself to improvisation. I’ve used green chilies, chipotle, and various dried chilies for the heat, and beans can range from the traditional pintos and black beans to any beans you happen to have on hand.
New Mexican Chili and Beans
Yield: 8 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds pasture-raised turkey meat
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
5 tablespoons New Mexican chili powder
1 small can chipotle chilies
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
12 ounces dark beer
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
14.5 ounces mushroom broth
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups unsweetened canned or cooked pinto beans
Garnishes: cilantro, green onions
Note: if cooking dried beans from scratch, soak overnight and then pour off the water the next morning, rinsing several times. This helps ease any…erm…rumblings from eating beans.
Brown tempeh, add onions, garlic, herbs, and spices; cook until onions are softened. Add beer, and cook until foam subsides. Add tomatoes and paste, broth, sugar, and chocolate. Cook, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Add beans and cook for another 1-1/2 hours. Taste for salt and serve.
Top with your favorite garnishes and serve with a crisp salad with avocados and cilantro.
Image courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net