Smokey Beef Chilli with Black Beans

This is my all time favourite chilli dish, it can be made ahead of time at each stage, freezes well and feeds a crowd!

It is also surprisingly quick to make up before it goes in the oven for a long slow cook. I don’t brown the meat and instead leave the meat in the onion, garlic and spices overnight before throwing in the tomatoes and water, bringing it up to the boil and popping it in the oven.

I buy jarred peeled capsicums, lazy I know, I just check for seeds and then dice them, much easier than peeling fresh and saves time too!

I like my chilli quite thick so I often cook it uncovered for 90mins for the final stage but 60mins gives you a bit more liquid if that’s how you like it.

I serve it with rice, sour cream and a simple non spiced guacamole, avocado, lime and coriander.

I use leftovers to fill tortillas and top nachos or freeze in takeaway boxes as single potions with rice on the side.

Serves 10-12.

2.2kg beef, cubed into 3-5cm pieces

3 red onions, finely diced

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

5 chipotle chillies and their adobe sauce, chopped

3 tablespoons oil

5 skinned and deseeded capsicums

2 dried ancho chillies, soaked for 30mins in very hot water, deseeded and chopped

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

700mls sieved tomatoes

700mls water

4 tablespoons tomato paste

3x400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed

Method

Combine the beef, onion, garlic, ground cumin and ground coriander in a large bowl or plastic bag, cover and leave overnight in the fridge.

Heat a large pan over medium to low heat, add the oil and once hot, add the contents of the bag except the beef.

Cook until the onion is soft and then add the beef, capsicum, ancho chillies, cayenne and smoked paprika. Stir well.

Preheat the oven to 160degrees Centigrade.

Add the cocoa, sugar, salt, sieved tomatoes, water and tomato paste, stir well and bring up to a simmer.

Cover with a piece of baking parchment and then the lid and place in the oven, bake for 3 hours.

After three hours, add the drained beans, stir well and place back in the oven for 60-90 minutes uncovered, until the chilli has thickened and the meat is falling apart.