Beef Chili
This chili had me feeling all sorts of nostalgic about my Grandfather’s incredible Italian cooking. He always used red wine in his homemade “gravy” sauce, which is just red pasta sauce; and it had this slight tangy kick that I always loved. My Dad made chili a while ago using wine and I forgot just how special it tasted. So, I decided to use my Dad’s base recipe and toss in some good ol’ red wine because who doesn’t love a little extra flavor?!
Safe to say this addition was a hit and the chili came out perfect! It’s the perfect cozy fall meal with an added flashback to my Grandpa’s sauce. This is one of my favorite meals to make this time of year because first off, it’s so darn good; and two, it makes a lot so you have plenty of leftovers. And as I’m sure you already know, stews always taste better the next day!
Dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free, nut free
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 lbs grass-fed ground beef (or a mix of beef/chicken)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 small jalapeño, diced
3 bell peppers, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2, 15 oz cans of organic tomato sauce
2, 15 oz cans or 1, 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, fire roasted
1 T olive or avocado oil
2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup red wine
2 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
2 T chili powder
1 T smoked paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 T hot sauce, if desired
toppings: chopped green onions, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips
Directions
In a large soup pan or dutch oven, sauté onion and peppers in olive oil, on medium heat until onions are translucent and start to caramelize. Next, add garlic and jalapeño, followed by all of the spices, except hot sauce, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes while stirring to prevent burning
Add ground meat and brown until meat is about 85% done. Pour in tomato sauce, rinsed beans, and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat
Add in red wine and hot sauce, if desired. Taste test and add more salt/pepper or cumin/chili powder, if needed
Simmer on medium-low heat for as little as 30 minutes and as long as an hour
Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings (green onions, yogurt/sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips) and enjoy!c
**If not consuming all at once, will last 3-4 days in the fridge and also freezes well!
