Three-Bean Chili

It all began on a cold winter night. We had dinner guests coming the following evening and got the grand idea to think ahead and make chili for the meal. It’s even tastier the second day so it’s the perfect plan-ahead. We made a good size pot so that we could “taste” it that night. The smell warmed the house and right as the chili was coming to hot bubbling perfection, a friend stopped by just in time to help us with our taste test. It was such a hit that we were left with only two small portions the next day. All was not lost, we came up with a tasty on-the-fly meal for our guests that will be shared soon. 

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion

1/2 - 3/4 of an orange pepper (yellow and red also work well)

2-3 cloves of garlic (pressed) to taste- we used 5 

1lb (approx) of ground turkey

1 can black beans 

1 can kidney beans

1 can whole pinto beans

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 bottle of good beer:  we used Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

1-2 TB Chili Powder to taste

Ground Cinnamon- just a few dashes

Crushed red pepper to taste: we used some from the farmer’s market that we dried  

Salt & Pepper to taste 

Olive Oil for sautéing

Garnish:

Grated cheese

Green onion- sliced

Bean me up, Scotty! 

Slice the onion and chop the yellow pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the ground turkey and salt and pepper and cook until turkey is close to done. 

Meanwhile, rinse the beans. It helps to remove excess sodium and we don’t need the extra liquid. We have beer for that. 

Once turkey is close to done add the can of tomatoes, including their liquid. Combine and then add the beans. 

Now it’s time for the magic, add the beer. Yes, the whole beer. No test sips, all of it. Combine and then add the chili powder, red peppers, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. 

Simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until you can’t wait any longer. 

Garnish with cheese & green onion and enjoy. Add salad and Cornbread and you’ve got yourself a meal that will warm any cold belly. 

The inspiration for this recipe, most specifically the use of beer as a broth, came from a recipe I found in Rachael Ray’s 30- minute meals about 10 years ago. My version has changed a lot over the years. It started meatless and it works quite well that way for my veggie loving friends. You could definitely call this version more of a soup than an actual chili.  If you prefer it a bit thicker you can substitute the whole pintos for a can of refried beans. I admit that I’d really love to have the time to cook fresh beans, but currently that’s just not happening, so the cans will have to do. You can adjust the level of heat and garlic to taste to your preference. Disclaimer 1: we lean to spicy and garlicky in most all things. Disclaimer 2: use GOOD beer. It makes the difference. Really. 

The nights selection:

The Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA pairs nicely with strong flavours. It’s easy for us to find and is priced nicely for a good quality IPA. The bouquet is hoppy and fresh, full of character and with a 7.2% punch from Chico. To go with it, we chose Pomplamoose, an eclectic Bay Area duo that we truly appreciate and listen to often. Check out their youtube channel for lots of great video songs like If You Think You Need Some Lovin’.