Chili

Two servings

Paul Lynch
Main

Ingredients

  • one small onion
  • 350g lean/steak beef mince
  • 1 tin of kidney beans in chili sauce
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder/flakes
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 stock cube
  • 8g/1 tbs plain flour
  • oil

Equipment

  • small saucepan or frying pan
  • small/medium Pyrex casserole/dish
  • sharp knife
  • wooden or plastic spatula
  • chopping board

Method

Brown the mince in a hot pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil; don’t let the oil burn, but you want the mince to have a deep brown colour in places. If the mince wasn’t top quality, there may be some excess fat, which you should drain off. Put on one side, and put on a kettle to boil.

Finely chop the onion and soften in 1-2 tablespoons of oil over a low heat; this will take 5-10 minutes, and prevents the raw taste of onion. At the end add a finely chopped clove of garlic and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and the chili and cumin. Add the flour and stir for about one minute to absorb the remaining oil, then add the mince. Deglaze the pan where you browned the meat with a cup of water (or wine, beer or cider) over high heat, scraping the pan so that the water absorbs all the flavour.

Put into your casserole with the beans and top up with made up stock (made with hot water). Taste the liquid after mixing; make sure there is enough salt. Leave in a medium oven (150C?) for around 60 - 90 minutes.

Serve with rice, and optional grated cheese, sour cream, and fresh coriander, sliced spring onions or chilies.

Variations

Start by finely chopping one carrot and one stalk of celery and soften with the onion.

One tablespoon tomato purée adds richness and colour.

You can add a tin of tomatoes for a little extra bulk.

Add a sliced pepper about 20-30 minutes before serving; this is nicest if you have char-grilled it over a gas ring and removed the skin (along with the stalk and seeds).

Chop a red pepper and saute along with the onion (and optional celery and carrot).

Replace the “beans with chili sauce” with a tin of plain beans, plus a generous tablespoon of either pomegranate molasses or tamarind.