All-American Chili

Chili, originally uploaded by Kim De.

Noon football game led us to our main meal being lunch. I have been wanting to make this recipe for quite some time and can I tell you, it was worth the wait!

This is what chili should be, to my taste buds. Full of flavor. A bit spicy but not too much. Not greasy, but a great mouth feel. A wonderful palate for add-ons, but strong enough to stand along. Most importantly - great with ice cold beer!

All-American Chili (Adapted from Cooking Light)

6 oz hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
3 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot
56 oz canned whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, sauteing for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the sausage, red bell pepper, ground sirlion and jalapeño. Cook 6 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add in wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

NOTE: My crockpot instructions: After browning, I took the beef mixture and moved it to the crockpot, then added the tomato paste and the rest of the ingredients. I cooked on high for about an hour, then moved to low until ready to serve (about another hour)