Carrie's Chili

We moved to a street that apparently has an annual chili cook-off, and this was the recipe I came up with for our first submission! I studied recipes for hours before creating this recipe and wrote down exactly how and when we added them. It turned out absolutely delicious, and had a really complex flavor. Alas, there ultimately was no voting or prizes handed out, but we really think that this was one of the best. We only used one (albeit giant) jalapeno, but would probably add one or two more next time to make it spicier. I am also adding a couple topping recipes that our neighbor served with his chili, that were so good they should just be served with every chili!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  lb  ground round
• 1  lb  ground chuck
• 2  large onions, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (24 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, crushed
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1  cup beef broth
• 1  cup chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 11 1⁄4 ounces dark beer (Guinness)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 -4  jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1  tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3  scallions, chopped

• DUMP 1

• 1  bay leaf
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  coriander
• 1  teaspoon cayenne
• 1  teaspoon oregano
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt

• DUMP 2

• 1  teaspoon  cocoa, special dark
• 1  teaspoon paprika
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cumin

• Lime Honey Sour Cream Topping

• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1  teaspoon lime juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lime zest
• 2  teaspoons honey

• Tortilla Strips

• 3  flour tortillas, 10 inch
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine the spices for Dump 1 and Dump 2 in separate containers.
2. In a large pan, brown the meat in the olive oil with the onions, cooking the onions until translucent. This may take two batches for all the onions to be cooked. Add the garlic to the second batch of onions and sweat it.
3. Place everything into the main pan and add the beef broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Boil for 30 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth, Guinness, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans and Dump 1 of the spices: the bay leaf, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, oregano, salt. Simmer for about an 1 1/2 hours.'.
5. While the chili is simmering, time to make the toppings! Preheat the oven to 425°F.
6. First, make the sour cream topping: combine all the ingredients and stir until well blended. Chill until ready to serve.
7. Next, make the tortilla strips: cut the tortillas into 1/2" wide strips and place on a cookie sheet. Baste with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake until golden brown and crispy, turning over about halfway between the 8-10 minutes it might take to bake.
8. Back to the chili: add the remaining beans, vinegar and Dump 2 of spices: the cocoa, paprika and cumin. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
9. Remove the bay leaf and serve with the Lime Honey Sour Cream topping, scallions and tortilla strips.
10. Enjoy!