yum chili yum

Ever since visiting Alex and Jessica's for Red Beans and Rice, where we tried the West Indies Creole Hot Pepper Sauce, Matthew has wanted me to make chili. He just couldn't wait to try this new hot sauce (available from a little hot sauce shop in Normal Heights) with chili and Cornbread. I usually patch a couple recipes together when I make chili but this time I just added whatever seemed like it might make the chili better. We wanted to keep this chili relatively healthy so I used ground turkey breast and a smoked spicy turkey sausage for the meat base instead of ground beef and traditional Andouille Sausage. Matthew said, that this chili might very well have been better than my last batch made with Andouille, also incredible chili. Who really knows which one was better but I figured I'd better write a record of how I made this chili before I forget entirely. That has always been a serious flaw, my inability to recreate yummy meals. I suppose that just makes dinner extra special, if I've tampered with the recipe, or simply not used one.



Recipe

1 cup each of red beans and pinto beans, soaked for 8-10 hours(I put mine to soak before going to work and when i got home, I cooked them), drained, then cooked for 1- 1 1/2 hours with a large clove peeled garlic and a peeled potato. Discard the potato and garlic after the beans are done. If you cooked them the night before making the chili, then chill them until ready to use.

1-2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1+ pound ground turkey
2 smoked sausages, sliced (I used turkey, but pork would be good too)
1 pint can diced peeled tomatoes
1 little can tomato paste
1 12 ounce bottle of porter, stout or brown ale (I used one of Matthew's home brewed porters)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4-1/2 cup water

Spices:
1 bouillon cube(not necessary, I just like the extra flavor)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder(not the hot kind, the dark red, flavorful kind)
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder or perhaps 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1-2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
6 or so, good dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt

Saute the onion and celery in canola oil for about 5 min. add the bell pepper and saute another 5 or 10 min. just make sure the onion is starting to get very soft and a bit squishy. Dump the veggies into a crock pot. Cook turkey and garlic in a bit more oil, if necessary, and add 1/4-1/3 of the beer to pan, to help lift the stuck bits from the pan; add the bouillon cube and cook until meat is done. While meat is cooking, put all other ingredients into the crock pot, including your pre cooked beans and the rest of the bottle of beer. Add the meat mixture to crock pot and stir everything very well. Now, cook on high heat until it starts to bubble, turn down to low or perhaps medium if you have that setting(I only have keep warm, low and high settings, my low setting might be medium for other people). Let the chili bubble away until you get home from work or are done with your day and ready for a yummy meal. Serve chili topped with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese and some very spicy hot sauce, alongside buttery southern cornbread.