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Chili

(With the Secret Ingredient)

Everyone has a chili recipe. Everyone thinks theirs is the best. Most of them are wrong. This one has a secret ingredient that elevates it from "pretty good chili" to "wait, what's in this?" territory. The secret? Dark beer. And no, I don't mean that watered-down light beer bullshit you drink at barbecues. I mean a real beer with actual flavor. The malt adds depth, the bitterness balances the sweetness of the tomatoes, and it makes you look like you know what you're doing. You're welcome.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 1 hour (longer is better) Serves: 8 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

The Main Stuff

The Spices

These are starting points. Chili is personal. Taste as you go and adjust to your preferences. I'm giving you a baseline, not a prison sentence.

For Serving (Not Optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until it's browned and crumbly. Break it up as it cooks. This should take about 8-10 minutes. When it's done, drain off the excess fat—leave a little for flavor, but you don't need a grease pool. Set the beef aside.
  2. Cook the aromatics. In the same pot (don't wipe it out—those brown bits are flavor), add a splash of oil if needed and toss in the onion and green pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and jalapeños. Cook another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt. Burnt garlic tastes like disappointment.
  3. Toast the spices. Add all the spices—chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper—directly to the vegetables. Stir them around and let them toast for about a minute. This blooms the spices and makes the whole thing taste better. Your kitchen should smell incredible right now.
  4. Add the liquids and beef back. Pour in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock. Add the beef back to the pot. Stir it all together.
  5. Add the secret ingredient. Open your dark beer. Take a swig—this step is mandatory and also a quality control measure. Then pour the rest into the pot. Watch it foam up a little. Stir it in.
  6. Add the beans. Dump in the kidney beans. Stir. Some people say beans don't belong in chili. Those people are wrong and also not invited to dinner.
  7. Simmer low and slow. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Let it simmer, partially covered, for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Longer is better. The flavors need time to get to know each other. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
  8. Taste and adjust. This is important. Taste the chili. Does it need more salt? More heat? More cumin? Add it now. Chili is forgiving—you can adjust as you go. This is your chili. Make it taste like your chili.
  9. Serve it up. Ladle into bowls. Top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, some diced onion. Serve with crackers or cornbread. Accept the praise. Refuse to tell anyone about the beer. Let them wonder why theirs never tastes as good.

Notes From Someone Who's Made This a Hundred Times

  • On the chicken stock thing: Yes, it's beef chili with chicken stock. Fight me. Chicken stock has a cleaner flavor that lets the beef and spices shine. Beef stock can make it taste muddy. Try it before you judge.
  • On the beer: Don't use an IPA—too bitter. Don't use light beer—too pointless. Amber lagers, brown ales, porters, stouts all work great. If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.
  • Make it ahead: Chili is one of those things that tastes better the next day after the flavors have melded. Make it on Saturday, eat it on Sunday. You'll thank me.
  • Freeze it: This freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze half. Future you will be grateful.

Stuff You'll Need

A large pot or Dutch oven. A wooden spoon. A can opener. A beer. Another beer for drinking while you wait. Bowls for serving. Patience—chili rewards those who wait.