Beef, Black Bean & Chorizo Chili

Cooking Light has been one of my favorite cooking magazines for years now.  I stopped getting the subscription for a long time because it was just too much, I couldn't stay up, plus I wanted to save them all. Now I have a black binder and when I see a recipe I like I tear it out and file it. I think I am going to have to get a new black binder soon.  I found this recipe in the November 2007 issue and started making way back then and haven't stopped. I modified it just a tad (when do I not?) to suite our needs - this one is a keeper!  Every time I make this for guest they ask for the recipe, so don’t let the number of ingredients scare you off!

12 ounces Chorizo
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1 medium yellow onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1 (7 oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 TBL tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup dry red wine (remember to use a wine you like to drink!!)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
28 ounces beef broth
1 (28 oz can) whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 TBL corn mesa
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

(One of my favorite 'every day' wines!!)

Heat Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add chorizo to pan, sauté 3 minutes or until browned.   Remove Chorizo (leaving chorizo drippings in the pan) add beef to pan, sauté for 5 minutes or till brown. Remove from pan (leaving drippings), add onions and garlic to pan, sauté for 3 minutes. 

Remove 4 chipotle chiles from can & chop.  (Reserve the remaining chiles for another use.) Add chorizo, beef, chopped chilies, tomato paste and next 6 ingredients through ground cumin to the pan.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Stir in red wine, lime juice, beef broth, and tomatoes, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove 2 cups of broth from chili, add corn mesa & mix with a whisk until no lumps appear, add to chile mixture. Add pinto and black beans. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and chives.

This recipe is better on day 2 and it freezes very well!

Sorry about the messy dish in the picture...but you are lucky to even see a picture of the chili.  You see those super cute white dishes I put the chili in?  Well, they are on the top shelf in my kitchen.  I have to use a stool to reach them.  No biggie.  I use the same stool every day. Boy 1 can't stand the stool and has been begging me for years to get rid of the stool because he always falls off of it. I told him to just stop using it.  HUMPH.  I wish I had listened to that boy.  I pulled down the dishes, took to two out I needed and went to put the 3 plates, and 2 bowls (stacked together) back in the cabinet.  Well when I did, I leaned too far forward and the stinkin' stool slipped out from under me, I tried to get the dishes back in the cabinet before I feel, but it was no use, I tucked my head and tried to brace myself for the dishes about to fall on my head...and they did.  And it hurt and I thought I was going to pass out because my head and my arm were hurting so bad.  Boy 2 saw the whole thing..(you know, my stressor)  he freaked out and I tried really hard to hold it together even though I THOUGHT I may have broken my arm and cut my head open.  Well to my surprise and thankfulness, my head was NOT gushing blood like I thought it was and my arm is NOT broken.  Thank you Jesus!  I just had a really bad head and arm ache for the rest of the night..... 

AND there is more goodness that came out of this….  After the dishes broke on my head, they fell in the sink and broke 3 more glasses. I was able to add 9 more items to my decluttering count.  3 plates, 2 bowls, 3 glasses and 1 stool!  ;o)