Western Black Bean Chili Recipes

WESTERN BEANS

Steps:

• Lightly fry bacon in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan. Add onion; cook until transparent. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring once or twice. Remove bay leaf before serving.

WILD WEST CHILI

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown bacon and the beef or venison; drain. Add the seasonings; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, celery, onion, carrots and green pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir in beans; cook 30 minutes longer.

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• 1. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook turkey and onion for 5 minutes or until onion is soft, stirring frequently.
• 2. Stir in tomatoes and its juices, corn, beans, tomato sauce and chili powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• 3. Serve with lime wedges and top with sour cream and cilantro, if desired. Salt and pepper to taste.

SOUTHWESTERN BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a heavy-duty 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Season the beef with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Cook half of the beef, undisturbed, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Break up the meat and cook, stirring or turning occasionally, until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Add another 1 Tbs. oil to the pot, and brown the remaining beef; transfer to the plate along with any liquid from the pot.
• Add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. of oil, the onion, and garlic to the pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, and New Mexico chile powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour in the beer, turn the heat up to high, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
• Add the canned tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
• Turn the heat down to medium low. Purée 1-1/2 cups of the beans in a blender or food processor, adding a little stewing liquid as needed, and then stir the puréed beans into the stewing liquid in the pot. Add the remaining whole beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the ground beef back to the pot, and cook for 30 minutes more. If the chili gets too thick, thin it with a little water.
• Add the corn and zucchini to the chili and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with the garnishes.

COWBOY CHILI

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook ground beef, garlic and onion over medium heat, stirring until beef is browned, about 10 minutes.
• Drain well.
• Stir tomatoes with liquid, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper into beef mixture.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
• Add pinto beans and salt.
• Cook stirring, for 15 minutes longer.
• note: The flavor of the chili actually improves once the ingredients blend making this the perfect do-ahead meal.
• Refrigerate chili until ready to use, then reheat over low heat.

BEST DAMN CHILI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, jalapeno peppers, and garlic in the hot oil until softened.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; add Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Crumble bouillon cubes over beef and add beer. Continue to cook , scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until liquid is hot, about 3 minutes. Stir beef mixture into pepper mixture.
• Stir crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine to the beef mixture. Season with chili powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, brown sugar, pepper sauce, basil, paprika, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until meat and vegetables are very tender and flavors have developed in the chili, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix kidney beans into beef and vegetables. Continue to simmer until beans are hot, about 30 minutes more.
• Blend sour cream, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in a food processor until smooth. Serve sour cream mixture with chili.

SOUTHWESTERN CHILI

Steps:

• In a casserole cook the onions, peppers and garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of the broth, the vinegar and chocolate and bring the mixture to a boil, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Simmer the chili, covered, for 1 hour, adding additional broth, if necessary. Add the kidney beans and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes more. Ladle into bowls and serve with rice and desired toppings.

WESTERN BLACK BEAN CHILI

Steps:

• A. Prepare chicken stock (ingredients above, or use store bought if you must) - makes 6 to 8 cups, freeze what you don't use for the chili to use in other recipes. Caramelize onions with olive oil on the bottom of a large soup pot. Combine all ingredients in pot and fill with water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1-4 hours depending on how much time you have available, the longer the better. Strain all solid ingredients from the fluid and discard. You now have 6-8 cups of delicious chicken stock. B. Prepare Black Beans (ingredients above) - makes 6 to 8 cups. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bringing to a simmer, stirring occasionally. C. Prepare Chili (ingredients above) - makes 8-10 two cup servings. Season the meat at the bottom of your soup pot. Bring oil to heat and sauté the steak cubes until brown, about 10 min. Add the sausage pieces and season with salt and pepper. Once meat is caramelized, combine all remaining ingredients. Keep on a low simmer; do not allow the chili to boil. Every half hour or so, add ½ cup of chicken stock (or water) as the chili simmers over 60 to 90 minutes. Chili is done when the steak is cooked thru but not mushy. Before serving, remove the bay leaves. Serve in large oversized bowls, 1 to 2 cups per serving. Goes great with corn bread. Entire recipe can be prepared inside 4 hours, however the stock and black beans can be made days/weeks ahead and frozen for easier meal day preparation.

POBLANO CHILIES WITH BLACK BEANS AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Arrange chilies on baking sheet. Broil until charred on all sides, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel chilies. Cut 1 lengthwise slit in each chili; carefully remove seeds.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread onions evenly in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash half of beans with cayenne in medium bowl. Mix in remaining beans. Spoon mixture into chilies. Arrange chilies seam side down atop onions. Sprinkle cheese over. Cover with foil. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Bake chilies 15 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes longer. Serve each with salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

WESTERN BLACK BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Saute beans, 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup tomato, salsa, garlic and chili powder in oil for 4-6 minutes, until heated through, gently smashing the beans.
• Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons cheese and the cilantro.
• Transfer to a serving bowl; top with remaining onions, tomato and cheese.
• Serve warm with tortilla chips.

BEEF, BEAN, AND BEER CHILI

Steps:

• Place a pot over high heat. Drizzle in vegetable oil. Add diced onion, ground beef, and salt. Break up meat with wooden spoon into small pieces as it browns. After meat browns and releases its juices, continue stirring until the released liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add garlic, chile powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until mixture begins to darken, 3 or 4 minutes.
• Stir in beer. Add cocoa powder, oregano, cayenne, water, and tomato puree; stir well. Bring to a simmer; adjust heat to medium-low. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Stir in diced green pepper and pinto beans. If mixture becomes too thick, add a bit more water. Simmer until peppers are tender and flavors have blended, about 30 more minutes.