SMOKY CHILI CON CARNE
Yield:6

It's your choice. If you want to turn this smoky and tangy chili into the
5-alarm variety, go ahead. Just add more chipotle chiles, which can be
found dried, pickled or canned in Adobo sauce. But beware - just one of
these peppers can turn a pot of chili into the equivalent of fire walking
for the tongue, depending on your threshold, of course.
If you're not into hot food machismo, you've got a few options. Use only
half of a chipotle pepper and you'll still get some spice and the flavour
as promised in the recipe title. If you completely omit the chipotle you
won't get smoky flavour from the chili powder alone. In that case
substitute the chipotle with 1-2 tablespoons of liquid hickory smoke and
you'll have the subtle tangy flavours you're looking for. And as for any
pot of chili, make it the day before eating it, so that it has time to
mellow and infuse its flavours.
For a twist, serve it Texan-style with a dollop of sour cream, a small
handful of shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and a sprinkling of
raw, small-diced onion to enhance the flavours.
1 x large onion, cut into medium dice
4 x cloves of garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
1 x red bell pepper, cut into large dice
1 x orange bell pepper, cut into large dice
2 lb. lean ground beef
6 tbsp chilli powder
1 x chipotle pepper in Adobe sauce, minced and pureed
salt
freshly ground pepper
2 x 796 ml cans of good quality Italian plum tomatoes
540 ml cans of kidney beans
3 tbsp red wine vinegar


Directions:


Brown the ground beef in a large pot on medium-high heat.

With a slotted spoon, drain the browned meat while removing it from the
pot and transfer it to a large bowl. Set aside.

Pour leftover fat from pot into a glass jar and discard.

Place pot back on the burner over high heat and add olive oil.

When oil is heated, add onion and garlic and sauté until they turn
translucent.

Add red and orange peppers to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes or until
tender. Lower heat.

Add reserved ground beef back into the pot stir to combine with onions
and peppers.

Sprinkle chili powder into pot and stir to combine, then add chipotle
pepper (or liquid smoke).

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour plum tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl and crush with a fork or
partially puree with a hand blender. Stir the crushed tomatoes in with
the cooking meat mixture.

Drain and rinse the kidney beans in a colander, then add to the pot.
Stir thoroughly to incorporate.

Add red wine vinegar to the chili, lower heat and let simmer for 2
hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste, if
necessary.