Lieutenant’s Pump First-Place Chili

Yields: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (25 mL) vegetable oil
• 3 strips bacon, diced
• 2.2 pounds (1 kg) lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chili pepper (or 2, or more depending on how spicy you prefer)
• 2 cups (500 mL) onion, medium diced
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) each, diced carrot, celery, red pepper, green pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) each, ground coriander, cumin, oregano
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) each, chili powder, cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) red wine [substitutions: cranberry or grape juice, or diluted red wine vinegar]
• 2 cups (500 mL) beef stock
• One 28-ounce (796 mL) can plum tomatoes, chopped
• One 14-ounce (398 mL) can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. In a heavy duty saucepan, heat oil and sauté bacon.
2. Brown beef, about 3 to 4 minutes on high, dicing meat in pan; remove meat from pan and set aside.
3. Add all vegetables to the pan and sauté on medium until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Return browned meat, herbs and spices to pan and cook 2 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste, stir in well, then red wine (or substitute), beef stock and all remaining ingredients.
6. Slowly bring to boil, reduce heat to just simmer for 90 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Tip: Best made a day ahead, then refrigerated to marry flavours and carefully reheated

 Source: Head chef Dave Gower, Lieutenant’s Pump British Pub; Article from The Ottawa Citizen