Mexican Chili

I made this dish for a Halloween pot luck at work last week.  It was a hit!  It wasn’t too labor intensive and the sides to serve with it are pretty much a must!  They round this chili out nicely.

Now imagine this chili with tortilla chips crushed over top.  My picture taking is a work in progress…

Here’s what you need to do:

Mexican Chili

4 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced (I used only 3 because they were large)

2 8oz cans of tomato sauce

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground oregano (I only had dried and it worked just fine)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour, found in the Mexican or International section of your grocery store)

2 19 oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinced

2 19 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinced

Toppings:

Shredded cheese

Tortilla Chips

Lime wedges

In a dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and cook onions until translucent.  Add ground beef and garlic and cook until the meat has browned.  Pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne.  Stir well and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour.

Drain the beans and rince well.  Set aside.  Measure the masa harina into a bowl and add 1 cup of water.  Stir to combine.  Add the corn flour mixture into the chili and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.  At this point, add water, 1/2 cup at a time, if you find your chili is too thick.  Add in your beans and warm through.

To serve, plate the chili and squeeze a lime wedge over the chili.  Top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

(Source: Adapted from Simple, Perfect Chili)

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