FRASER ELISABETH TAN, PHD

Three-Bean Chili

Owen keeps asking for chili, so here 'tis! Made with dried beans, no soaking required.

Serves 4-6 V GF* EF DF

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped small
  • 1 to 2 peppers of your choice (see Notes), finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted if you can find them
  • 1 1/2 cups mixed dried beans (see Notes)
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups water
  • To serve: lime wedges, sour cream, diced white onion, cilantro, corn or flour tortillas, tortilla chips or rice

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in the bottom of a medium-sized heavy pot or Dutch oven (if finishing on the stove), in the pot of your pressure-cooker (if using one) or in a large skillet (if finishing in a slow-cooker). Once warm, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add any fresh peppers and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and cook for 2 minutes, until browned and deeply fragrant. Add the beer and scrape up any bits stuck to the pot. Boil until reduced by half, or until it has all but disappeared.
  2. If finishing on the stove: Add the tomatoes, dried beans, any dried or rehydrated-and-pureed chiles and the smaller amount of water. Bring to a full boil and boil for one minute, then reduce heat to a very low, gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the last 1/2 cup water if the mixture seems to be getting dry.
  3. If finishing in a slow-cooker: Scrape the onion, spice and beer mixture into a slow-cooker and add the tomatoes, dried beans, any dried or rehydrated-and-pureed chiles and the smaller amount of water. Cook on HIGH for 6 to 7 hours, until the beans are tender. Add the last 1/2 cup water if needed.
  4. If finishing in a pressure-cooker: Follow your pressure cooker’s directions. Small black and red beans can finish in 22 to 25 minutes, but pinto, kidney, and most others can take 35 to 40 minutes from dried in the Instant Pot.
  5. Serve as-is or with fixings of your choice.

Notes

  • Peppers: For people who don’t like spicy food, use just 1 bell pepper or 1 fresh poblano, which is very mild. 2 fresh jalapeños will give you slightly more heat. 2 small dried chiles or 1 to 2 chipotles en adobo will give you more of a kick. To best incorporate dried chiles, cover them with boiling water until soft, then puree them - or just cook them with the dried beans.
  • Chile powder: If you’d like the clear flavor of your dried chiles to come through, you can skip the chile powder in part or entirely.
  • Tomatoes: This makes a fairly tomato-y chili. If that’s not your thing, use only a 15-ounce can.
  • Beans: Use a mix of three beans, usually 1/3 kidney, 1/3 black and 1/3 pinto. They take about the same time to cook, but if you’re nervous one will take longer, soak it in water while preparing your other ingredients.
  • Pre-soaking: Beans soaked for 6 hours or overnight will approximately halve the cooking time. Soak them in the recipe’s water and use the soaking liquid in the chili.
  • Canned beans: Use 2 to 3 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed, and skip the water. Simmer everything except the beans for 20 minutes, then add the beans and simmer 10 minutes more, adding 1/4 cup water if it looks dry.
  • Use a gluten-free beer to keep this gluten-free.

Source: Smitten Kitchen