Super Bowl Chili

Chili is one of my favorite things in the world, and this is not just because you can serve it in a bread bowl. Anything that is beloved to the point of having a ring of competitive contests surrounding it is my type of food, because anything worth doing right is worth sparking unsolvable arguments about the best way to go about doing it.

This chili is from Cooks Illustrated, with slight variation. It's goal is to be the type of chili you expect at a Super Bowl party. That is, not crazy fancy competition chili where the presence of tomatoes is heavily debated, but what you think of when you order chili at a ski area during playoff season.

The best part of the chili is serving it with limes at the end. This was something of a revelation for me as you don't look at a bowl of chili and think "let me cut some limes and squirt them over the sour cream and cheddar". But you SHOULD think that, because it really brightens the flavors and evens out the heartiness. Other toppings include all your chili basics: cheddar, sour cream, scallions, avocados, tomatoes, jalepenos, tabasco, onions, anything you want.

The recipe can easily be cut in half, and a full batch fills our larger dutch oven to the brim. That being said, chili makes awesome leftovers. It might even be better the next day as the flavors marry, another reason this is a winner for guests.

So, without further ado...


Super Bowl Chili:

8	strips thick-cut bacon
2	medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1	red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6	med. cloves garlic , minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4	cup chili powder
1	tablespoon ground cumin
2	teaspoons ground coriander
1	teaspoon red pepper flakes
1	teaspoon dried oregano
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 to 1/2	teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (optional-- instead of tabasco)
2	lbs 85% lean ground beef (or 1 lb. 80% and 1 lb. 90%)
1 1	15-ounce can red kidney beans , drained and rinsed 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1	28 ounce can diced tomatoes , with juice
1	28 ounce can tomato puree
	Table salt Tabasco
2	limes , cut into wedges

1. Fry bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot.
2. Add onions, red bell pepper (did I mention it had to be red?), garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne, and chipotle (if using, use moderation, adds a lot of heat); cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. There will be a fond on the bottom of the pot. This is good. You are not burning anything, just make sure to de-glaze later.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. The 85% beef is a good medium between over fatty (80%) and over meaty 90%) according to Cooks Illustrated, but if I had to choose one of the two, I'd go healthy and maybe add an extra strip or two of bacon for some more fat to mellow the beef taste.
4. Add rinsed beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
5. Remove cover and continue to simmer at least 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. If needed, skim any pools of fat off.
6. Add 3-4 dashes tabasco sauce. Adjust seasoning as desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Total cook time: about 3 hours (2 1/2 hours cook time, 1/2 hour prep)