Around this time of the year, the stew pot tends to be my most sought for tool in the kitchen realm as the dark and cold outside makes you crave for comforting dishes such as thick soups and one-pots or a nice goulash. And why not spice it up a little? Chili con carne is a great winter dish, giving you just the warmth your soul requires (and your body will feel the heat, too!) while taking your mind away on a trip to Mexican holiday bliss. 🙂

Sanni

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of beef goulash meat, cut into big chunks
• 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 yellow onions, 1 of which halved and sliced, 1 of which chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, whole
• 2-3 hot chilis, half the amount sliced and the other half finely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper, salt
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
• ca. 300-400 ml of beef stock
• 400 grams of canned kidney beans

Preparation:

1. Heat up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat in a large non-stick pan.
2. Sear the meat in the vegetable oil from all sides. Remove any excess meat juice while searing and set aside.
3. When the meat is properly seared from all sides, take off the heat and set aside.
4. Reduce the temperature to medium and add 1-2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes (do not brown).
5. Transfer the meat, meat juice and onion-garlic mix to a stew pot. Add beef stock until just covered.
6. Add the chili. Season with plenty of black pepper, some salt and add the oregano, cumin and ground coriander.
7. Bring to the boil and cook without a lid over medium heat for around 20 minutes.
8. Then cover and let simmer over low heat for around 2-3 hours. Check occasionally and add a bit more beef stock if too much of the liquid should evaporate.
9. Before serving, prepare the beans: Pour into a pot with the liquid (or rinse first, if you prefer and boil in water). Season with black pepper and salt and bring to the boil. The beans just need to be warmed up, do not boil for any length of time.
10. Strain and serve on the side of the chili (or tip right in 😉 ).