Brew Up a Hearty Coffee Chili with Beans

Brew Up a Hearty Coffee Chili with Beans

Recipe from: Coffee Kind

Coffee adds depth and savory richness to hearty dishes like chili. This recipe uses a novel way to infuse coffee flavor throughout every delicious bite.

With the weather across much of the country on the decidedly wintry side, we figured it was the perfect time to break out our favorite chili recipe. Coffee really brings out the savory and spicy flavors in the other ingredients, and lends the tasty beans and ground beef favorite an added layer of depth. Our method adds a little extra time to the prep, but it really deepens the flavor dimensions. Serve on its own, or over baked polenta. Prep time: 6 hours Cook time: 4 hours Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried kidney beans
• 2 quarts strong brewed coffee
• 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs. 80% lean ground beef
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 green bell peppers, chopped
• 3-4 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 2 28-ounce cans chopped or crushed tomatoes
• Salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare the kidney beans.
   • Fill a large pot with water.
   • Add the beans.
   • Bring the pot to a boil and let boil for 15 minutes.
   • Remove the beans from the heat and let them soak for about 30 minutes.
   • Drain the beans and rinse them under cold water.
   • Return the beans to the pot and add the coffee and cinnamon.
   • Bring the beans to a boil again.
   • Reduce the heat and let the beans simmer in the coffee over low heat until the beans are cooked but still firm, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Saute the onions and green peppers in olive oil until the onions are transparent and the peppers are soft.
3. Add ground beef to the pan and stir to mix well with the onions and peppers.
4. Before the ground beef is completely browned, add jalapenos, chili powder, oregano, salt and cumin.
5. Continue cooking and stirring until ground beef is completely cooked through.
6. Put beef mixture into a large slow cooker.
7. Add the cooked beans, coffee and all.
8. Stir in two cans of tomatoes.
9. Set the crock pot to high for 2 hours. After 2 hours, reduce heat and let the chili continue cooking for at least another hour to allow all the flavors to blend.
10. Serve with assorted toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped onion, chopped scallion and grated bitter chocolate.