Chili con carne (for bonfire night)

Ingredients

• 700g beef chuck, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 3 tbsp adobo sauce reserved
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 250ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

1. 1

   1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Season the beef and brown in batches until deeply coloured on all sides, then set aside.

2. 2

   2. Reduce heat to medium, add the onion to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic, tomato purée, and all the dried spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   3. Add the chopped chipotle chillies, tinned tomatoes, stock, brown sugar, and vinegar, then return the browned beef to the pot, stir well, and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. 4

   4. Cover and cook on a low simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick and deeply coloured.

5. 5

   5. Stir in the kidney beans and cook uncovered for a further 15 minutes to heat through and thicken further.

6. 6

   6. Thin the reserved adobo sauce with a splash of warm water to a pourable consistency, then drizzle it over each served bowl.