It was finally chili weather this weekend! A couple of cooler days put us in the mood to make chili for friends coming over for a party on Sunday afternoon. I thought this chili was delicious the first time around, but even better as leftovers tonight. Though pretty much all our party guests felt a little sick after leaving our house, I blame that on the ginormous bowl of guacamole, taco pie, chips and pumpkin bars I made. Or it could be the fact that while this recipe called for 1 pound of pork Peter actually used 8, even though all other ingredients were only tripled. Regardless, it was tasty stuff and I'd definitely make it again.
I'd like to dedicate this recipe to Eunice, who like me loves all things containing beans.
Ingredients:
3 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound pork sirloin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp ground sage
1 cup beef broth
1 14 1/2-oz can peeled tomatoes (undrained, and we used the fire roasted kind)
2 15-ounce white (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed
Accompaniments:
Grated cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Pat pork dry. Add to skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, stirring frequently, approximately 6 minutes.
Add pork to vegetables. Blend in chili, cumin, oregano and sage and stir 3 minutes. Add broth to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir into pork mixture. Add tomatoes with liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is tender, stirring occasionally, approximately 1 hour.
Add beans to mixture and stir until heated through. Spoon into bowls and top as desired with accompaniments.
Serves: 2 to 4 (or an army, should you happen to use 8 pounds of pork instead of the prescribed 1)
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com
