Beef and Bean Chili with Pickled Onions

 

Are you a recipe tweaker? I'm a reformed recipe tweaker, formerly taking creative license to swap this for that, sometimes altering a recipe so much that it no longer resembled the original. I exercise more restraint these days, honoring the work that had been dedicated to develop recipes. However there are still days when I stray a bit. This recipe is one of them. Inspired by a popular recipe on one of my favorite blogs Healthy Delicious's Beef Bean Chili with Pickled Onions, I took what was an elegant chili recipe made with beef stew cubes and red wine and boomeranged it back to a more traditional and humble bowl of beans with ground beef and beer.  It would be ironic to call it creative since I may have reverted this chili back to its predecessor, but the result is quite good (as is the original) so a new recipe is born.
I am also adding Healthy Delicious's recipe for pickled onion, which is pristinely un-tweaked. While the pickled onions are an optional topping, I highly recommended it to brighten and contrast several aspects of the spices and herbs in this chili. 

Beef and Bean Chili

Inspired by Healthy Delicious

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups dried beans (I used a variety of kidney, pinto and black), soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 chipotle peppers, chopped plus 2 1/2 Tablespoons adobo
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bottle stout beer 
• Juice from 1 lime
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons masa or cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt to taste

Method

1. In a medium pot, add the soaked beans and bay leaf and fill enough water to cover roughly two inches above the beans. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer until the beans are tender, roughly one and a half hours. 
2. Once the beans are cooked, heat a heavy pot over medium-high heat brown beef. Remove beef from pan.
3. Add the onion and garlic to pan and saute for 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the beef, chipotles and adobo, and spices. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in drained beans, sugar, beer, lime juice, beef broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and using a spoon to break up the tomatoes.
5. Stir in the masa or cornmeal. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Add salt to taste.

Pickled Onions
From Healthy Delicious
Ingredients

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 allspice berries
• 2 juniper berries
• 1 bay leaf

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat. Store onions in the liquid until ready to use.
2. They will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.

Serve the chili topped with pickled onions and any other toppings of your choice.