Easy Chilli con Carne

Name: Easy Chilli con Carne
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp sunflower oil; 2 large onions, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1kg lean minced beef; 250ml red wine (optional); 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes; 3 tbsp tomato purée; 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped, or 1 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon; dash of Worcestershire sauce; 1 beef stock cube; 2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed; handful of fresh coriander chopped; sea salt and black pepper; lime quarters, rice, guacamole, sour cream and green salad, to serve

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Serves
6

Prep time
30 mins

Cooking time
1 h 15 mins

This hearty chilli con carne comes together effortlessly using ingredients you likely already have on hand. Control the spice level by deciding whether to remove the chilli seeds or boost the heat with some dried flakes.

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1kg lean minced beef
250ml red wine (optional)
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped, or 1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
handful of fresh coriander chopped
sea salt and black pepper
lime quarters, rice, guacamole, sour cream and green salad, to serve

Method

Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Cook the onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
Turn up the heat, add the mince and brown thoroughly, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the wine if using and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the tomatoes, tomato purée, chillies, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce. Crumble in the stock cube and season generously.
Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low.
Cover and cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich.
Stir through the kidney beans and coriander.
Continue cooking uncovered for 10 minutes more.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve alongside lime wedges, rice, guacamole, sour cream and mixed salad.

Cook's notes

This chilli improves dramatically when made ahead - the flavours develop tremendously overnight in the fridge. Leftovers freeze perfectly in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months.

Defrost thoroughly before reheating gently on the hob.

Flavour Boosters

For deeper complexity, try adding a pinch of smoked paprika or a couple of squares of dark chocolate in the final stages (trust me, it works!).

The key to great chilli is proper browning of the mince - don't rush this step as it builds the foundation of flavour.