Chili Con Carne with Dark Chocolate

Many people mistakenly believe that chili con carne is a Mexican dish. In fact, it is not. It is a Tex-Mex dish, that is, a Texas-Mexican dish, and it comes from the United States, not Mexico. Its name in Spanish simply means “chili and meat.

A long time ago, perhaps when I was cooking chili for the first time, I came across a recipe that suggested adding chocolate to the dish at the very end. The explanation for this strangeness was that this is how they do it in the dish’s homeland. And that means it is as authentic as possible. Chili comes from Mexico, chocolate comes from Mexico, that’s the connection.

Now that I am a little more aware of the origins of the Chili con carne, this logic is a dead end.

Anyway, and no matter how many chili recipes I try, I keep adding chocolate. I like to look for its subtle notes in the flavor. Chocolate is like salt here, in the perfect lemonade recipe, it makes the imagination work and focuses on the taste. When you eat the chili and look for the chocolate notes in the flavor – the overall taste will seem richer because of the increased concentration on the eating process.

Chili con carne is both a standalone dish and a base for many others. Chili can be used to make tacos, pies, or pizzas.

It is best served with rice, bulgur or cous cous as a side dish. And remember that chili is a second day dish. After spending the night in the refrigerator and properly infused, it will become more delicious and flavorful.

Ingredients

• 2 large onions
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• bunch of cilantro
• 1.5 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 750 g (1,7 lb) beef
• 2 jars of tomatoes in own juice (400g each)
• 1 can of red beans (400 g)
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. dried chili flakes
• 1 -2 dried chilies or 1/2 to 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 50g (1,8 oz) of dark chocolate (the higher the cocoa content the better, I used 80%)
• Sour cream or yogurt to serve

Step by step directions

Peel and slice the onion and carrot into sticks, about 1 cm apart. Finely chop the garlic and cilantro stems, set aside the leaves for serving.

Pour boiling water over dried chili peppers (if using).

Turn the meat into mince using a meat grinder attachment with 0.5 cm diameter holes.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large thick-walled frying pan, add the stuffing and flatten with a spatula until uniformly thick. Take your time stirring and allow it to brown properly.

If you start stirring right away – the temperature of the pan will drop, the mince will secrete more juice and instead of ruddy you will get a stew. Cook for 7-10 minutes. Near the end of the process, thin out the mince with a wooden spatula, separating it into small pieces. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a large pot (I used a 5-liter pot), fry the chopped onion, garlic and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.

Add stuffing, stir and add cilantro, 1 tbsp. cumin seeds, 2 tbsp. oregano, 1 tsp. dry chili flakes, 1/2 tsp. ground chili, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and dried chili soaked in boiling water (drain water).

Add 800g of tomatoes from a can and 400g of red beans together with the liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to minimum, cover and cook for 1 hour.

Grate 50 grams (1,8 oz) of dark chocolate on a fine grater directly into the pan and stir.

Serve with sour cream or natural yogurt and garnish with cilantro leaves.