Chili for a Chilly Night

Oh, could I get any cornier?  Probably, but I'll save it for another time.  I had a busy day today.  I went to an outdoor craft festival and had church at 5:00, so a crockpot meal was in order.  You could definitely put this meal together in the evening, store it in the fridge and put it in the crockpot before you leave in the morning.  I got this recipe for Weeknight Beef Chili from Slow Cooker Revolution published by America's Test Kitchen. It's probably the best chili I have ever made.  I didn't change very much.  The recipe called for red kidney beans which I really don't care for, so I used the same amount of black beans.  Also, it called for canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce.  I didn't have any, so I left it out. The recipe calls for soy sauce which seems a little weird in a chili recipe.  This is one of those ingredients that this cookbook uses often to boost the beefy flavor.  They call it umami. The kids were here for dinner and everyone had second helpings.  I guess it was a success.  Here goes.

Weeknight Beef Chili

2 lbs. ground beef
2 slices white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3 onions minced
6 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. tomato paste
1/4 c. chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1  28 oz. can of tomato puree
1  28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2  16 oz. cans black beans (use kidney beans if you prefer)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper

Tear the bread into pieces and soak in the milk.  Using your hands, mix this into the beef along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  In a very large skillet, add the oil, onions, garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes.  Add the beef mixture and cook until it is no longer pink, about 6 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the tomato puree to the pan and cook for a few minutes.  Add to the crockpot along with the beans, diced tomatoes, remaining tomato puree, soy sauce and brown sugar.  Mix well.  At this point you can put the ceramic pot into your refrigerator and put it into the crockpot before you leave for work.  Cook on low for about  6 hours.  When chili is finished, let sit a few minutes and skim off any fat that has accumulated at the top.  Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and rice if you like.  Enjoy. 

If you make this, let me know how you liked it.  And as always, I welcome questions and comments.

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie