Beef Chilli

Warm and comforting, this beef chilli is perfect for hunkering down on a rainy day. Also fantastic for batch cooking, or for making a big pot for your family and friends to dig into at your next dinner party.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 500g lean beef mince
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
  • 2 squares of good quality dark chocolate
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 410g canned red kidney beans

Method

  1. Place a pan on the hob over a medium heat, and add the oil. Leave for a couple of minutes until hot, then add in the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and slightly translucent
  2. Add the garlic, red pepper, chilli powder, paprika and cumin. Give everything a good stir, then leave all of your ingredients to get acquainted for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
  3. Turn the heat up a bit and add in the beef mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes until there are no more visible pink spots on the mince.
  4. Boil a kettle and add the beef stock cube into 330ml of hot water, then add this to the mince mixture
  5. Follow with the chopped tomatoes, dried marjoram and dark chocolate, then season to taste. Squirt in the tomato puree and stir well
  6. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down and clamp a lid on the pan. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan
  7. Drain and rinse the kidney beans, and then stir into the chilli. Bring to the boil again, then gently simmer without the lid on for a further 10 minutes
  8. After this time, put the lid back on and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving with plain rice.

Lead image: robynmac via Getty images.