Spiced Beef Chili
This chili highly qualifies as one of the best things I ever ate. Hands down. Simple yet fantastic ingredients and spices, simmered and enhanced to intense, aromatic, bold flavors presented as soul soothing comfort food. Caramelized pieces of beef stew meat coated in cayenne pepper, chili powder and lots of freshly ground cumin. Amazing texture and savor from fresh tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, onions and a copious amount of minced garlic. A gloriously smooth, full-bodied finishing touch imparted by coffee, red kidney beans and fresh basil leaves. Learned from and inspired by Ina Garten's friend Devon Fredericks' Award-Winning Chili, this recipe is a must try in order to fully comprehend, appreciate and relish its indescribable depth of flavor!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef stew meat *small pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil *or grape seed oil
- 3 large yellow onions *chopped (*Spanish onions)
- 5 cups tomatoes *chopped with liquid (approximately 10-12 Campari and/or Roma tomatoes)
- 2 green peppers *deseeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño *deseeded and sliced
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 10 garlic cloves *minced
- 3 tbsp cumin powder *freshly ground
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 3-4 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- ½ cup coffee *freshly brewed (I used two medium to low intensity Nespresso pods)
- ½ tsp coffee rub seasoning *optional
- 2 cans red kidney beans *15 oz each, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp basil leaves *chopped
Toppings
- Tortilla chips
- scallions *thinly sliced
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese *shredded
- Guacamole *optional
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the beef stew meat.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven on medium high heat. Brown the beef stew meat, in batches, for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side until caramelized (turning each piece to evenly brown). Remove browned meat and set aside.
- Add sliced onions and minced garlic and sauté on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until softened. Add the spices (cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin powder) and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes (I add 1-2 tsp water at this point to prevent burning of spices). Mix well and then add tomatoes with their liquid, diced green peppers, bay leaf, browned meat, Kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to mix well, turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Then turn heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 2.5 hours.
- Now uncover pot, taste for seasonings, add freshly brewed coffee and coffee rub seasoning, mix well, cover again and continue to simmer chili for another hour. Finally add rinsed, drained kidney beans and freshly chopped basil leaves, gently mix to combine, cover and simmer for a final 15 minutes.
- Heartwarming and mouthwatering Spiced Beef Chili is now ready to serve. Top with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and scallions and scoop up the goodness with tortilla chips. Dig in to your heart's content. Enjoy. Nosh Farma'aiye!