Recipe Peanut Butter Chili

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I wanted to make burgers, so I got out patties that I had preformed earlier. But, my wife didn't want burgers. So, what did I do? If you're married, you already know the answer to that question. But, just because I decided to make chili didn't mean I couldn't make my burgers. I cooked them on a cast iron pan, because I love the char that it creates. Just crumbling ground beef into a teflon pan doesn't come close to the awesomeness that derives from the maillard effect.

I had to get that part out of the way because this is really a recipe that's all about how peanut butter really works in a chili. I saw how peanut butter works in other savory Asian recipes that have similar components - peppers, onions, garlic, beef - so it could work here, right? Yes, it can. Where it really works well is in tamping down the spiciness from the peppers. It doesn't eliminate it, but it does blend nicely with it, making it less harsh. It also helps thicken the chili, which is an underrated bonus: that means less time boiling off the moisture, and less time (over)cooking the ingredients in the pot. The peanut butter I used was smooth, but I'm sure chunky would have also worked.

As I cooked it, there's an unmistakable peanuty aroma. But, you really only get a nutty flavor at the tail end of the spooful. It's not like having a spoon of peanut butter with meat and beans: it's chili, with peanut rounding out the flavor.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons bacon grease
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano powder
20 ounces ground beef
4 cups canned beans (2 cans, mixed variety)
4 cups canned corn (2 cans)
28 ounce can diced tomatoes (or any canned tomatoes that you chop up later)
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups beef stock
Salt, adjusted to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large pot to medium temperature. Roast cumin seeds in the pan for no more than a minute, moving the pan constantly to prevent burning. Grind the seeds and set aside.

2. Add bacon grease to the pot, then add onion and peppers and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic to an open spot at the bottom of the pot; sauté while stirring continuously for 1 minute. Fold in spices and allow to cook for 1 more minute.

3. While the previous step is taking place, form ground beef into patties. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Cook in a cast iron pan on medium heat for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for 2 more minutes. This will result in a medium rare cook, in case you want to put one in a bun instead of in the pot. Remove patties from pan, cut into chunks, then return to the pan, stirring continuously and breaking up large pieces until all sides are partly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Add tomatoes, corn, beansm and peanut butter to the pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen up bits of the beef as needed.

5. Add stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook with cover off for 30 minutes or until reduced to desired consistency. Add salt as needed to taste.

 

[TastyReuben]

3 tablespoons bacon grease

You’re off to a good start!

 

[msmofet]

I sometimes add peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder to my chili.

 

[ElizabethB]

I live too close to Texas to approve of chili with beans. Your recipe would be the exception to the rule.
DITTO TR
Bacon drippings are a good start to anything.