Uptown Down-Home Chili

Makes 4 servings

Lauren DelDotto

ingredients

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs ground sirloin
2 TBS grill seasoning
1/2 lb baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 lb shiitake mushrom caps, slived
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, with their juices or 1 generous palm full ground chipotle chili powder, about 2 TBS
1 TBS ground cumin
1 bottle imported beer
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock (8 oz box)
2-3 TBS fresh thyme leaves
8 oz piece smoked Gouda, shredded
1 small white onion, finely chopped

1
Heat a deep, large skillet or a pot over high heat. Add 2 TBS EVOO and the meat. Season it with grill seasoning and sear it up, browning and crumbling it, for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate and return pot to stove.
2
Reduce heat to mdium0high and add another tablespoon EVOO. Add the mushrooms and begin to brown them before adding the other veggies. After 2 or 3 minutes, the mushrooms with bein to shrink and soften. Push the mushrooms off to one side of the pot and add all the remaining veggies to he opposite side of the pot surface. Once the onions, celery, peppers and garlic have been working for a few minutes as well, mix the veggies with the mushrooms.
3
Add the meat back, season with Worchestershire sauce, chipotle in adobo or chipotle powder and cumin. Add in beer to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the pan drippings. Reduce the beer by half, about 2 minutes. Add the black beans, tomatoes, stock and thyme to chili and simmer 10 minutes for flavors to combine. Taste to adjust seasonings. Top bowls of the chili with shredded smoked Gouda and finely chopped raw onions.

Source: Lauren DelDotto