“Cowboy Chili with Black Beans”

Love Chili? Nothing warms the heart and soul more than a hearty meal especially when the weather is cold, snowy, and rainy. My husband loves a “warm your tummy” meal when he comes home from work. So my Cowboy Chili with Black Beans is the perfect  meal when the weather is dreary. This recipe allows for plenty of leftovers during your busy workweek. Full of tender beef brisket, tomatoes, fresh and dried chile peppers, onion, garlic, and black beans in addition to coffee, molasses, and herbs and spices.

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

In my opinion, great chili cannot be rushed so I recommend making my chili on the weekends. Cook your chili low and slow to infuse meat and concentrate flavors. Chili freezes well and is perfect when frozen in individual portions. Hungry mouths can be feed easily. Just remove from freezer to refrigerator to thaw or pop containers in the microwave. My husband considers freezing chili a grand idea because he can get lunch or dinner for himself when I’m working. Sometimes we’re like two ships in the night as many of us are. Don’t you agree chili tastes even better the next day? That’s because sitting allows all flavors to meld in my Cowboy Chili with Black Beans.

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

How my recipe came about was a friend once told me she never uses chili powder to flavor her chili. So I researched chili powder which is a blend of ground chile peppers. Dried chiles are re-hydrated in hot brewed coffee then seeded and chopped. Through trial and error I came up with Cowboy Chili with Black Beans. Using a combination of dried Ancho and Chipotle peppers brings just the right amount of heat. Not too hot and not too spicy. Cowboy Chili with Black Beans like all chili’s have onions, garlic spices like cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. But besides dried chiles, fresh peppers are used like bell peppers, poblano pepper and jalapenos. Poblanos vary in heat as do jalapenos. Any red on your peppers mean a hotter pepper. If you enjoy more heat, add in another jalapeno or two as more can be added later if you like.

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

I use beef brisket in my Cowboy Chili with Black Beans. Yes, brisket can be a little pricey but so worth the extra dollars spent making this chili. I would not steer you wrong as I am not a fan of wasting my money when cooking either. You want to use meat which holds together but yields tender meat, flavorful meat. You may be asking why not brown beef first? I have learned over the years that when meat is being simmered for several hours, browning is not always necessary. Also, browning beef first can produce tough meat instead of tender meat. Since this chili is simmered for 3 hours, the beef is infused with all the flavors in this recipe. Save browning for stews and pot roasts as searing flour-coated meat in oil will add a depth of flavor and color to your dish. But no searing here.

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

I used black beans in my Cowboy Chili instead of kidney beans. Black beans are a more tender bean while kidney beans have a tougher skin which I don’t find appealing. Use kidney beans if you prefer but I recommend black beans for their creamy texture with soft skin. Black beans absorb whatever flavors they are being cooked with. If you need a substitute for black beans, pinto beans are a great substitute because of their creaminess. Black beans are super healthy and contain high protein and fiber content.

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

Looking for a new go-to chili recipe, grab your big 8-quart pot, run to the market and cook up a batch of my Cowboy Chili with Black Beans this weekend. Don’t forget to purchase individual containers for the freezer. On one of those busy weeknights you’ll be glad to look in your freezer and say I will have dinner tonight in minutes. Pull out a couple of containers, heat up chili, top with sour cream  and dinner is served. You’ll even have time to whip up a pan of cornbread to go along side your chili. Now that’s what I call a time saver. Enjoy this tummy warming, yummy good meal on a cold winter’s night soon.

 

Cowboy Chili with Black Beans

4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 cups brewed hot coffee

4 large dried chile peppers (2 ancho, 2 chipotle)

2 red onions, chopped

10 garlic cloves, minced

3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange), seeded and diced

3 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin

2 heaping teaspoons smoked paprika

1 heaping teaspoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 fresh poblano pepper, seeded and diced

2 large jalapenos, seeded and diced

2 cinnamon sticks

4 – 14.5 oz. cans diced plum tomatoes

3 Tablespoons molasses

2 – 15.5 oz. cans black beans, drained

Sour cream, for serving (optional)

 

Cut brisket against the grain into ½-inch pieces. Soak dried chiles in hot coffee to re-hydrate for 15 – 20 minutes. Seed and finely chop re-hydrated chiles, reserving coffee and set both aside.

Meanwhile, heat Olive oil over medium-high heat in an 8-quart Dutch oven or pot. Add onions, bell peppers, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Cook for about 10 minutes until onions and peppers are soft. Add in a couple of Tablespoons reserved coffee if mixture becomes to dry.

Stir in bay leaves, rehydrated peppers, garlic, poblano, jalapenos, cinnamon sticks and remaining reserved coffee. Sprinkle in 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper.

Add in beef brisket, tomatoes, molasses, and black beans, mixing until well combined.

Cover with lid and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

Serve in individual bowls topped with a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy with a side of buttermilk cornbread if desired.