My Favorite Chili
Chili, a quintessential slow cooker meal, is not a traditional Mexican dish. Rather, it seems to be Southwestern in its inception. It is sort of a combination of the dried beans and chiles so readily available in the Southwest with the wonderful spices brought by Europeans to Mexico. This particular version is generously seasoned with spices and chili powder and has been pieced together by me over the course of a few years. The following recipe makes a big mess o’ chili and is best done in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Thoroughly wash the beans and place them, along with the water, in the slow cooker insert. Grind the allspice, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, aniseed, and coriander seeds in an electric coffee mill or a mortar and pestle and add to the beans. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Step 2
Add the diced onion, garlic, tomatoes, cocoa powder, and chili powder to the beans and continue cooking for 2 hours.
Step 3
About half an hour before serving, add the red and green bell pepper and corn kernels to the beans so they retain their crisp, fresh taste and texture.
Step 4
Ladle into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of green onion and cilantro.
Suggested Beverage
Step 5
Although you could also choose fruity red wine to drink with this dish, I would prefer a good Mexican beer.
