Princess Aioli's Chili

Ingredients

28 ounces can red kidney beans

28 ounces can black beans

1 pound ground sirloin

1 yellow onion, diced

Garlic, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 inch can chipotles adobo

Ground cayenne pepper

Habanero flakes

Chipotle pepper flakes

Ground De Arbol chili pepper

Ground Ancho chili pepper

28 ounces can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

Smoked sea salt

Special Equipment - large crock pot

Preparation

Directions: Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers and poblano pepper, sauté for 1 minute. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, and ground coriander. Add ground sirloin, stir to combine and cook until meat is browned. Drain pan to remove excess fat and add contents of pan to crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients to crock pot, cook on high setting for 4-5 hours.

Equipment Notes: If you don’t have a crock pot, you can also make it in a large pot on the stove. I just like the crock pot because of its cooking method – it takes a while for the flavors to meld together, so if you’re doing it on the stove, you may want to let it cook all day.

Spice notes: If you can’t find the specialty spices, don’t go too crazy. I like the mixture of a few different smoky spices, but just do the best you can. I personally like my chili to be very spicy and I love the way the flavors play off each other. Do try to get the fire roasted crushed tomatoes though – they’re usually in the organic section, but totally worth it.

Spiciness notes: You can also use less of the hot ingredients if you don’t want it to be that spicy. For example, the first time you make it you may want to try just using one chipotle in adobo, instead of the whole can or even half of it. The spiciness will come out as it cooks, so be careful.