My Favorite chili recipe! From Best of Fine Cooking, Comfort Food 2005, pg. 59. Modified to use lamb instead of beef.
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 1-1½ tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1½-2 tbsp jalapeño seeded and chopped
- 1½ cups onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 14 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- sour cream and shredded cheese for serving
For the Nachos
- ~15 "restaurant style" tortilla chips choose ones that will lie fairly flat on a baking sheet
- 1 jalapeño sliced into thin rings
- ~¾ cup shredded cheese Cheddar, Monterey Jack or a mix
Instructions
Make the chili:
- In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and cayenne.
- In a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat about 1 Tbs of the oil. Add the ground lamb to the pan, breaking up the chunks of meat, season with 1 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the onions and chopped jalapeño and season with a pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until just tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Add the spices and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices and ¼ cup of water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for at least 20 minutes, although longer is fine.
- Stir in the beans and cook, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes. Stir in the molasses and balsamic vinegar.
Make the nachos
- Heat the broiler. Lay the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. Tops each chip with a few slices of jalapeño. Cover each chip with a small handful of cheese.
- Slide the baking sheet under the broiler to melt the cheese and brown the edges of the chips slightly.
- Remove the nachos from the oven and let cool briefly while you plate the chili.
- Serve chili topped with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream, as desired with the nachos.
Notes
When my son is home I use corn instead of beans, he's not a bean fan :). The original recipe removed and drained the beef before adding onions and returned to pan after the spices, adding another couple Tbs of olive oil along the way. My lamb was not too fatty so I just left it in, saving some extra cleanup at the end.