My Stolen Chili Recipe
A rich and smoky chili featuring tender steak, crispy bacon, kidney beans, and a hint of unsweetened cocoa for depth and warmth.
Ingredients
- 1 lb steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- to taste salt
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the steak pieces to the pot and brown on all sides in the bacon fat, about 5-7 minutes. Remove steak and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, then add tomato paste, stirring into the bacon fat to cook briefly, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and cocoa powder to the pot, stirring to combine and let spices bloom, about 1 minute.
- Pour in tomato sauce and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Return the steak and bacon to the pot, then add kidney beans. Stir to combine everything evenly.
- Simmer the chili gently over low heat, partially covered, for about 45 minutes to allow flavors to meld and steak to tenderize.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more pepper if desired before serving hot.
