3 Chili Beef Chili Recipe

Getting Ready

1. Start by preheating your oven to 500°F and getting the rest of ingredients ready to work with.
2. Wash and dry the vegetables. Mince the onion and garlic. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems.
3. Remove enough of the peel from the lime to mince enough for 2 teaspoons of lime zest. Cut the remaining lime into quarters.
4. Peel the avocado, remove the pit and cut up into dice size pieces. Add the juice from two of the lime wedges to keep the avocado from browning.

Roasting the Peppers

1. Coat the peppers with a little olive oil and place them on a sheet pan. Season with salt & pepper and place them into the preheated oven. Roast for about 7 to 9 minutes. When the skin looks browned and starting to blister, they are done and can be removed from the oven. They are hot so wait till they cool off to remove and discard the seeds and stems. Chop up the peppers and reserve.

Preparing the Chili

1. Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and then the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper, cook until the ground beef is browned. This will take just 2 or 3 minutes.
2. Reduce the head to medium heat and add the garlic and most of the onion but leave a little for garnish at the end. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the onion softens and starts to become translucent.
3. Add the chili spice mix but only to taste. If you like it spicy, add all of it, but if not, go with less. You can always taste it while it is cooking and add more. Let the chili cook for another minute or two and be sure to keep stirring so nothing burns.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, lime zest and reserved chopped peppers plus 1¼ cups of water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, stirring every once in a while so nothing sticks to the bottom and burns.
5. Now is a good time to taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and add some of the chopped cilantro. Stir and taste to see if it needs more cilantro. Some people like cilantro more than others so adjust according to tastes.

Plate & Garnish

1. Serve the chili in bowls and garnish with the reserved avocado, grated Pepper Jack cheese, a little minced onion and remaining cilantro.
2. Add a wedge of lemon to the plate and serve.