Chilli Heaven
I love Mexican food but have no idea about cooking it. I’m afraid to say that chilli, guacamole and salsa are the limits of my repertoire. Nevertheless, this chilli is gorgeous and a new favourite meal. It is made up of various recipes that I found on the net. I have no idea if it is: a) in any way authentic or b) if I am committing chilli murder by using these ingredients. All I know is that it tastes great. It has a kick but it is not too hot and you definitely won’t miss the beans. As always, it tastes even better the next day.
We found some dried chipotles and ancho chillies in the supermarket, so we experimented with them. You could adjust quantities to taste and depending on how hot you like it. We didn’t bother pre-soaking them as the chilli was cooked for quite a long time. Remember to use gloves for the anchos. Richard chopped them without gloves and then – despite washing his hands – touched his face and got burnt. If that does happen, rub with olive oil as apparently the capsaicin (the chemical that makes chillies hot) dissolves in oil. It worked!
If you cannot find the dried chillies in the supermarket, there are Mexican food suppliers on the net but I thought these two looked particularly good:
Ingredients
2lb minced beef/diced beef
Large onion
4 large garlic cloves
Red pepper
Mushrooms
3 tsp smoked paprika
3 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1-2 tbsp tomato puree
Glass of red wine
3 tsp oregano
1 desertspoon of ground coffee
Few large squares 85% chocolate
1.5 cup beef stock
1 dried ancho chilli de-seeded
2 chipotle chillies de-seeded
Dice the onion and fry until transluscent.
Add the chopped peppers and mushrooms and fry until soft.
Add spices and fry until aromatic.
Add beef and fry until gently browned.
Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, vinegar, oregano, coffee, chocolate and stock.
De-seed and chop the dried chillies using scissors and add to pan.
Bring to gentle boil and then gently simmer for a few hours or more.
Serve with coconut cauliflower rice, sour cream (if you tolerate dairy)/guacamole/salsa, a wedge of lime and of course, a margarita.
