Best Chili Ever

You read the title. Are you intrigued? You should be. This is the recipe for the best chili ever. I kid you not. Whether you make this chili for friends, family, or a hungry husband, they are bound to request, nay, demand, the recipe. In fact, I’ve had many friends ask me why I haven’t posted my chili recipe on this blog yet. I give them a two-part answer. 1) I have never measured my ingredients, which makes it quite difficult to write an accurate recipe. 2) Chili does not photograph well. I realize that #2 makes me sound like a perfect arse, but this is a food blog, people! So, here it is. I finally spent one snowy afternoon measuring all of the ingredients for my chili. With stout beer, dark chocolate, and coffee, it is without a doubt the tastiest and most interesting recipe you will come across. And, even though this chili does not photograph that well, it sure as hell tastes great!

Best Chili Ever

Ingredients
Makes about 10-12 servings (I made such a large batch because you can easily freeze the leftovers)

Olive oil

2.5 pounds ground meat (either beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo, or a mixture)

2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced bell peppers (I use red and yellow)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons diced chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (found in the ethnic aisle)
2 29-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 29-ounce can dark kidney beans
11-12 ounces dark beer (I used Guinness)
2-3 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cayenne red pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa)
2 tablespoons instant coffee grounds
Chopped cilantro

Method

In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the ground meat in olive oil until cooked. Drain the meat and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the onions and peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotle peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except the chopped cilantro. Add the meat to the mixture. Loosely cover the pot with a lid and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another hour. Allow it to simmer a bit longer if you'd like the sauce thicker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with grated cheese and chopped cilantro and enjoy!