Beef Chili with Chipotle Sour Cream

Too often, chili tastes like nothing but salt, beef and cumin. Maybe sometimes with a little tomato flavor. How does one make chili that actually tastes like chili but with real flavor? The answer: Chipotle chiles. These smoked jalapenos add fantastic taste without adding unnecessary calories or fat. Browning the vegetables really helps create depth. The longer you can simmer this recipe, the better. The end result is a savory, mouth-watering, and slightly sweet chili which pairs fantastically with chipotle sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water or chicken broth

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 3/4 cup of water

Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe below)

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch mixture and stir. Simmer for additional 2-4 minutes until chili is at desired consistency. Serve.

Chipotle Sour Cream

3 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup sour cream
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.