Chili For Maria Recipe

Servings: 4-6

I actually first made this dish for Maria (who was in a bowl of chili kinda mood) in Italy, not America. I just cooked up some defrosted ground beef, beef chorizo and pantry stuff we had on hand. Maria now requests it so consistently that I have to bring over the staples from the US to Italy every time we travel there.

Enjoy a Ginger Lime Marga-ria with this meal.

Recipe featured on Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 red field pepper, frying pepper or bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 large yellow or white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 12-ounce piece of fresh beef chorizo
2 tablespoons medium to hot Chipotle paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
1 28 ounce can of fire roasted diced or fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 14 ounce cans of black beans
3 cups beef bone broth or stock
Juice of 1 lime

Garnishes:

Lime wedges
Cheeses of your choice, Maria likes pepper jack and cheddar but cotija and queso asadero are also great options
Scallions, sliced on a bias
Mild or hot pickled jalapeno rings
Chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or chili pot over medium high heat. Add the peppers and onions to the pot and let soften a bit then add garlic and stir for a minute or two. Add in the beef and chorizo and crumble with a wooden spoon. Season with chipotle paste and spices and let brown. Add tomatoes, beans and stock and simmer until chili thickens to your liking, 20-30 minutes.

Add the juice of 1 lime and serve in shallow bowls with toppings of your choice.