Chile Con Blarney

evelyn/athens's Note:

This is not an authentic chile con carne recipe so, if that's what you're looking for, you've come to the right place! Another thing it's not is spicy-hot - I have 3 small kids to think of and I gave the recipe just enough of a kick so that I knew we could all eat it. If you like very spicy, be sure to up the seasoning amounts. And that's no blarney! An entry of RSC#11.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
• 1 ½ cups minced onions (or combination) or 1 ½ cups shallots (or combination)
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 cup celery , minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (you can add more, this was plenty for us)
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (1 lb) cans diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons liquid honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 (1 lb) cans black beans , drained
• coarsely grated gouda cheese , 1/3 cup per person (regular or smoked gouda can be used)
• sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan and brown ground beef, breaking up beef with back of spoon. If beef renders a lot of fat during cooking, be sure to drain off before proceeding with recipe (I use a very lean cut and have my butcher grind it for me). Add onion (or shallot), garlic, celery, chili powder, season with salt and pepper to taste, cumin, oregano and cayenne, and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.
2. Add diced tomato, water, honey, cocoa and worcestershire sauce. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a slow simmer and cover pot. Forget about it for the next 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, give chili a stir, admiring its rich colour and consistency. Taste it and adjust seasoning - you may want more salt or heat. Add beans, bring to slow simmer, cover pot and cook another hour. Uncover pot and check consistency - if you like your chili thicker, increase heat and boil, uncovered, for a few more minutes.
4. House sure smells good, doesn't it?.
5. Serve in deep bowls, topping chile with 1/3 cup coarsely grated gouda cheese (either regular or smoked - both are good in this). Add a small dollop of sour cream, if you like.

Reviews

[WiGal]

A very nice chile. Based on Chef#486725 recommendation I made this for the Top Favorites of 2008 game. I used ground turkey breast instead of ground beef and queso monterrey jack cheese for the gouda. I added 1 more teaspoon of chile and we felt it was pretty mild with the additional chile. We would have preferred more tomatoes in it. The cocoa was nicely subtle and gave it a dark broth. The honey was an excellent choice-I usually add a bit of brown sugar to mine so this was a new idea for me. Thanks evelyn/athens for posting. Made for Top Favorites of 2008 tag.

[Chef Kate]

A great chile! Authentic or no, the flavors of sweet and spice; tang and salt are just right. We loved the inclusion of celery (a brilliant touch) and while I was a bit nervous about the amount of Worcestershire sauce, the final result was excellent. A big thank you, Ev! Excellent!

[NcMysteryShopper]

This Chile had a good balance of flavors. There was a bit too much grease from the ground beef and i wished that I had drained it before continuing to add the rest of the ingredients. The cocoa powder was a nice touch but I wished there was a bit more heat. We enjoyed lunch and the chili was perfect on this cold day. Good Luck Chef!