The Godless Gourmet

What a week! I usually post a YouTube whenever I’m too busy to blog, but this time I thought I’d try posting something different—one of my recipes.

Chili a la olio

3 tablespoons oil

½ pound sirloin, cubed (I buy stir-fry beef then cut the strips into small cubes with kitchen scissors)

2 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning

¾ box button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

¾ box cremini mushrooms (aka baby portobello), coarsely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (use some of the leafy tops, too)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic (6 if they’re small), finely chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped (you can remove

some/all of the seeds if you prefer milder chili)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 bottle beer (any lager)

1 16-ounce can black beans (don’t drain)

1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes (don’t drain)

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Garnish (optional):

½ cup mild yellow cheese (Gouda is a good choice), grated

1 small white onion, finely chopped

Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons oil, the meat, and the grill seasoning.

Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and push meat to one side.

On the “clean” side of the skillet, add another tablespoon of oil, then the mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to brown and shrink (about 2-3 minutes), stir them once quickly then push them off to the side with the meat.

Add the remaining vegetables (onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic) to the clean side of the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, then mix the meat, mushrooms, and vegetables together.

Add the Worcestershire, chipotle, and cumin. Stir quickly to mix, then add the beer.

Stir/scrape the bottom of the skillet well to deglaze. Simmer until the beer has reduced by half (about 2 minutes).

Taste, and if you want it spicier, you can add a little more (¼ teaspoon or so) adobo sauce from the can of peppers.

Add the beans, tomatoes, beef stock, and thyme and simmer for 10 minutes.

This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make (for me, stripping the thyme leaves from their stalks is the most time-consuming step). Try it—it’s good!

Tags: chili, godless gourmet