Mexican chili con carne

Recipe steps

Prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion into pieces about half a centimeter in size. Cut the bell pepper into cubes roughly one centimeter in size. Finally, peel and chop the garlic.

Heat a pan over medium heat and pour in the oil. Let it warm up for a moment. Then add the onion and sauté it for about five minutes until it softens and becomes glossy. Next, add the garlic, chopped bell peppers, chili, sweet paprika, and cumin. Continue to sauté for another five minutes to allow all the flavors to combine well.

Now let's sauté the meat. Lower the heat, add the ground meat to the pan, and use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces. Be prepared for the oil with the onion and spices to splatter a bit. Stir constantly for about five minutes to ensure the meat browns evenly and does not form large clumps. Maintain a medium heat – the meat should be crispy, not stewed. Be careful, if you cook it too quickly, the garlic may become bitter and stick to the spices.

Now we will focus on preparing the sauce. Pour the broth into the pan and then add the canned tomatoes. Next, stir in the marjoram, sugar, salt, and pepper. Finally, add the tomato paste and thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.

Simmer the meat with the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir, and cover with a lid. Reduce the flame to the lowest setting and let it cook for twenty minutes. Stir occasionally and check to see if the sauce is sticking or reducing too much. If so, add two tablespoons of water and make sure the flame is truly at the lowest level. Properly prepared chili con carne should be thick and juicy.

Finally, add the beans. Drain them using a colander and add them to the pan. Again, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for an additional ten minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little water. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed; it’s possible that the dish will require more salt and pepper than you expected. Then, remove the lid and let the chili con carne rest for at least ten minutes. It will be worth it – it’s important for the flavors to meld and for the meat to absorb all the aromas.