Chili Con Carne

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions (, finely chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 2 medium carrots (, finely chopped)
• 2 sticks celery (, finely chopped)
• 2 red peppers (, finely chopped)
• 3-4 small red chili peppers (, cored, seeded, and minced)
• 500 g/1.1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cans ((14 oz/400 g each) diced or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ((optional))
• 1 can ((15 oz/400 g) black beans)
• 1 can ((15 oz/400 g) white beans)
• Handful of chopped fresh coriander
• Salt and black pepper (, to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add garlic, carrots, celery, peppers, and chili peppers and cook until begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Increase the heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Break it up with your spoon so there are no big lumps, and cook until no longer pink and well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin, paprika, and cinnamon.

3. 3

   Add canned tomatoes (with juices), balsamic vinegar, beans, and coriander, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and lower the heat. Cook at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and juices have darkened and thickened. The longer you cook – the better. I usually cook mine for 1 hour. If at any point during cooking the mixture appears dry, add a few tablespoons of water. The result should be thick, moist, and juicy.

4. 4

   Serve with rice and sour cream.

5. 5

   Chili will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.