This chili must be one of my oldest recipes and has been evolving little by little over the last 20-plus years. It was first inspired by my ex-father-in-law’s amazing elk chili. His chili was pretty much all I would eat when we would go to Nebraska for Thanksgiving every year. Traditional Thanksgiving food is not necessarily my favorite, and everything that has the word salad in it in Nebraska typically has mayonnaise or marshmallows as an ingredient… So, elk chili was a big staple for me, and his version was so interesting because he seasoned it with cinnamon. I just loved it.
Fast forward decades later, mine has transformed into a Mexican-inspired chili with a mole feel to it. Being from San Diego, Mexican food and ingredients have made a major impact on my cooking style over the years.
I wish I had a good source of ground elk meat to add to my version. However, I do not. So, I have found that a blend of 3 meats is my favorite.
Chili Recipe Supplies:
- Yellow Onion (1/2 large)
- Garlic Cloves (8)
- Jalapeno (1-2 depending on how hot you like and how hot the peppers are)
- Cilantro (1/2 bushel)
- Ground Beef (1 lb)
- Ground Turkey (1 lb)
- Chorizo (9 ounces)
- Tomato Sauce (15 ounces can plain)
- Black Beans (2 x 15 ounce cans)
- Kidney Beans (15-ounce can)
- Kerrygold Butter (4 tablespoons)
- Heavy Whipping Cream (1/2 cup)
- Milk Chocolate (1.5 little pieces of Hersey Milk Chocolate Bar)
- Cinnamon (to taste… start slow)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Onion and Garlic Powder (to taste)
- Cayenne (to taste)
Chili Toppings:
- Cilantro (1/2 bushel)
- Avocado (1)
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese (few pinches a serving)
- Sour Cream (dollop a serving)
- Lime Wedges
Before you start your chili, chop up the yellow onion, finely dice the jalapeno, and mince your garlic.
Heat your Dutch oven or large pan and add a few splashes of EVOO once it is hot. Saute your onion for a few minutes, and then add the jalapeno and garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Once all the veggies have softened, you are going to add the ground beef and turkey meat.
Season pretty generously with salt and pepper while you brown your meat. When most of the meat has browned, add the chorizo and cook a bit more. Make sure to blend the different ingredients evenly so that all of the different meats are combined with one another.
At this point, you can add the tomato sauce and half your butter and mix it in with everything. Turn the heat down a bit and let it all simmer to combine flavors. About 5 minutes or so while you open your beans and drain the liquid from the cans.
Add all of the beans and stir everything together. Let your chili cook on low/medium until the beans have gotten hot. Probably another 5 minutes or so.
Season generously with salt/pepper and onion/garlic powder. Add a few big dashes of cinnamon and cayenne. Break the chocolate into really small pieces and mix everything.
Stir and taste… you will probably (most definitely) need to add more seasoning since it is a large batch. I recommend 1.5 pieces of chocolate and probably would not add any more… but for the other spices, use your judgment. You want to taste a hint of cinnamon. Also, if you want more heat, the cayenne will help in this department.
Add the cream and remaining butter, stir everything together, put the lid on, and put your stove on the lowest setting. Let cook for at least 20 minutes (it’s okay to go longer) so all the flavors can combine.
During this time, you can prep all your toppings. Chop the cilantro and slice your lime wedges and avocado. Shed your cheese if necessary (it tastes better this way) and mix your sour cream.
Taste and season your chili one last time. Make any needed adjustments and get ready to serve.
Plating:
Unless someone is really fucking picky, I almost always plate my food before serving. I believe I know what flavors are going to go best together, and I can’t stand when someone just won’t try something. When you serve everyone, this takes the guesswork out however, if you are a picky eater, you probably have not been invited to eat at my house anyway.
I told Michelle when we first started dating that her not eating fish was a total deal breaker for me. Now, it is one of her favorite things to eat. There is food I cannot stand as well… but taste buds change over the years, and sometimes things we have never been exposed to could be our new favorite food. Try something you don’t like twice… if you still hate it, well, there you go! That’s my rule.
So, back to plating…
Serve the Chili and top it off with some shredded cheese (first so it melts on the hot chili), a little sour cream, avocado slices, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime! Enjoy.
