Grazin’ Diner | Photo courtesy of Grazin’ Diner
Makes 8-12+ Servings
Ingredients
4 lbs. grass-fed and finished ground beef (80–85 percent, don’t use very lean meat in this recipe)
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons ground red chili flakes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons Hungarian/sweet paprika
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper (ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups diced onions
3 cups diced red or orange bell peppers
4 tablespoons dried oregano (or marjoram) or mixed herbs of choice
16 oz. red beans of any kind, fully cooked and drained (or any 16 oz. can of beans)
28 oz. tomato purée
Shredded cheese of your choice and minced onion for garnish
Method
- Heat a large 12-quart pot and get it very, very hot. (Test the heat by adding a small amount oil; it should smoke but not burn—that’s when it’s ready.)
- Add beef to pot, stir and break it up, cooking as quickly as you can over high heat. When there is a bit of red left in the meat, add all the spices.
- Stir thoroughly and let the meat braise for a minute or two, and then add the onions and peppers. Stir well and let them sweat, never reducing the heat, for 3–5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Stir in the oregano and cook for another minute. Add the beans and tomatoes and slowly stir everything until thoroughly blended. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent chili from sticking to the bottom. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and let flavors meld, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour. Adjust seasonings (it should need salt). Serve with cheese and minced onion.