The arrival of Fall means the beginning of soup and stew season – one of my favorite times of the year!  While I constantly look for new and interesting recipes, there is no denying that you can’t beat the classics.  This Beef Chili is the ultimate cold weather meal – a little spicy, full of flavor – complete comfort food.

Don’t be alarmed by the long list of ingredients – it’s well worth it.  If you like a really spicy chili, increase the amount of chile powder and/or the chipotle chiles in adobo.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons chile powder
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1-15 oz. can pinto beans
• 1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes with the juices
• 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• salt, to taste

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil.  Add half of the ground beef and cook over high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Brown the remaining ground beef. Return the first batch of browned beef to the pot.

Add the onions and pepper to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent – about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, sugar, thyme, oregano, black pepper and cayenne and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beef broth, pinto beans, tomatoes, chipotles, tomato sauce, tomato paste and the vinegar.  Simmer the chili over low heat for 1  1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add the lime juice, season with salt and serve.

If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, I recommend adding a little extra beef broth while reheating the chili.

adapted from a recipe found here