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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- Boil a kettle and add the beef stock cube into 330ml of hot water, then add this to the mince mixture
- Follow with the chopped tomatoes, dried marjoram and dark chocolate, then season to taste. Squirt in the tomato puree and stir well
- 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
- 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
- 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.
