You may be a little surprised with the use of dates in this recipe but rest assured, once you have tried it you will be hooked.
So why did I use dates? Well, a chili con carne ideally uses a variety of peppers, each adding their own uniqueness to the dish. For example, capsicum adds a sweet, bright flavour without any heat. Chipotles add a warming heat with a smoky tobacco flavour. Arbol or similar are the fire and Ancho add a deep almost fruity flavour. If you find a pepper to match each of these four flavour groups you will have a well rounded dish.
As I didn’t have all the peppers available to me I improvised. Missing the deep fruity flavour, I dug around and found dates. Perfect! Blending the dates with the chipotles and tomatoes to make a rich, hot and smokey paste, which was smoothed out with the addition of the dates was pure genius… if I do say so myself.
The addition of chorizo adds a slightly different texture to the mince plus, depending on your chosen chorizo sausage it can add extra heat and spiciness. I cook the sausage at the beginning so as to use the rendered fat to cook the onions in. Setting it aside till the end means the chorizo crumbs remain little flavour bombs rather than melding into the flavour pot.
Chili con carne along with bolognese is a mince dish that is best made in bulk as reheated meals always taste so good. And having frozen portions in the freezer means you will always have a delicious meal available… Stuffed baked potatoes or zucchinis. Use it for your nachos or burritos. Endless possibilities.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg beef mince
3 chorizo sausages, skins removed and pulled into crumbs
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
1 habanero (optional or add more), finely chopped
400g tin diced tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
200g mushrooms
2 carrots
400g black beans
Herbs and Spices:
2 Tbs paprika
2 tsp smoked hot paprika
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp dried oregano (ideally Mexican but any will do in a pinch)
1 Tbs dried basil
2 tsp salt
Paste:
400g tin diced tomatoes
3 chipotles in adobo sauce (more or less depending on preferred heat level)
100g dates, deseeded and roughly chopped
Method
Cook the chorizo crumbs in a large pan till nicely caramelised. Remove and set aside. This will be added towards the end of the cook along with the black beans.
Cook the onions and garlic till softened. There should be enough oil in the base of the pan from the chorizo, if not then add a little more.
Add the beef mince and cook till browned.
In a food processor, blitz the carrots till they are finely chopped. Don’t bother peeling them, just a good wash and chop off the stem section. Add this to the mince mixture.
Blitz the mushrooms in the food processor till roughly chopped and add this to the mince mixture.
Add all the herbs and spices to the mince mixture and stir well to combine.
In the food processor place the paste ingredients; tinned tomatoes, chipotles and dates and blitz till quite smooth. Taste and add more chipotle if desired. Place paste into the mince mixture and stir well to combine.
Add the beef stock, the tinned tomatoes, habanero and chopped capsicum. Stir well to combine.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Leave to cook for 1 hour.
Remove the lid and place in the chorizo crumbs and black beans. Leave to cook for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
Serve with rice and sour cream or on top of a roasted potato.
- 1 kg beef mince
- 3 chorizo sausages, skins removed and pulled into crumbs
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
- 400g tin diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef stock
- 200g mushrooms
- 2 carrots
- 400g black beans
- 2 Tbs paprika
- 2 tsp smoked hot paprika
- 1 Tbs ground cumin
- 1 Tbs ground black pepper
- 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp dried oregano (ideally Mexican but any will do in a pinch)
- 1 Tbs dried basil
- 2 tsp salt
- 400g tin diced tomatoes
- 3 chipotles in adobo sauce (more or less depending on preferred heat level)
- 100g dates, deseeded and roughly chopped
- Cook the chorizo crumbs in a large pan till nicely caramelised. Remove and set aside. This will be added towards the end of the cook along with the black beans.
- Cook the onions and garlic till softened. There should be enough oil in the base of the pan from the chorizo, if not then add a little more.
- Add the beef mince and cook till browned.
- In a food processor, blitz the carrots till they are finely chopped. Don’t bother peeling them, just a good wash and chop off the stem section. Add this to the mince mixture.
- Blitz the mushrooms in the food processor till roughly chopped and add this to the mince mixture.
- Add all the herbs and spices to the mince mixture and stir well to combine.
- In the food processor place the paste ingredients; tinned tomatoes, chipotles and dates and blitz till quite smooth. Taste and add more chipotle if desired. Place paste into the mince mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add the beef stock, the tinned tomatoes and chopped capsicum. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Leave to cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and place in the chorizo crumbs and black beans. Leave to cook for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Serve with rice and sour cream.
