The chili I grew up with is not the chili of the American South. It’s a beany, tomato vegetable stew with a hint of beef.
Mechanic
Layers of browned mushrooms stand in for most of the beef. Cook them until they give up their water, then keep going until they brown and start to stick; that fond, deglazed with stock, is the savoury base. Add ground meat or TVP to the same stage if you want it meatier.
Ingredients
- 2–3 tsp olive oil
- 4–6 cups chopped mushrooms (1–2 cups once cooked down)
- 1 cup dried shiitakes, soaked in hot water until soft, then chopped (keep the water)
- Ground meat or TVP (optional)
- 1–2 onions, diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (I use the toothpaste tubes)
- 1–2 cups homemade stock (vegetable for a vegetarian version)
- 800 ml (1 large can) kidney beans
- 400 ml (1 small can) black beans
- 400 ml (1 small can) white beans
- 800 ml (1 large can) San Marzano tomatoes
- 400 ml (1 small can) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups roasted or fried corn kernels, or diced carrot
- 4 garlic cloves, roasted
- 1 lime
- 1 handful cilantro or parsley (or both), finely chopped
Spice mix, to taste
- 2–3 tbsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 2–3 tbsp good chili powder
- 3 tsp ancho (or similar) ground chilies
- Salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Add the fresh mushrooms and shiitakes and cook until they release their water. If using ground meat or TVP, add it to the wet mushrooms. Keep cooking until the water evaporates and everything browns; the meat stretches this out, but be patient.
Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the shallot, crushed garlic, celery, carrot (if using), and tomato paste, and sauté until softened. Let the bottom of the pot brown, but not burn, then deglaze with the stock and the shiitake soaking water, scraping up the browned bits. If the soaking water is gritty, strain it, or leave it out.
Stir in the spice mix. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, and roasted garlic, and bring to a simmer. Taste and make small adjustments.
Balance with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Stir in the cilantro or parsley.
Variations
Whole-chili spice paste
For better depth than dried spices, blend these together and use in place of the spice mix: 2–3 tbsp toasted and crushed cumin seeds, ½ cinnamon stick (toasted), dried guajillo and ancho chilies rehydrated in boiling water (with the water), roasted diced tomatoes, 2–3 garlic cloves, chipotles in adobo, and salt and pepper.
Notes
- This is vegetarian as written, with extra layers of mushrooms for savouriness. For a meaty version, add some ground beast (any ground meat) at the mushroom stage.
- Shortcut: use a batch of Beef base in place of the mushroom and meat stage. It cuts the cook to about 25 minutes.
- Swap in any beans you like. You can also cook the beans from dry; follow the package directions.