Mission City Tex Mex Chili

A very basic recipe for chili crafted from ground meat and canned beans can go from ho-hum to magically memorable when seasoned to perfection. Mission City Tex Mex Chili makes the simmering easy and the outcome wonderfully delicious. Our go-to recipe is simple enough to allow for putting extra time, energy, and creativity into chili embellishments. Go overboard with fresh salsa, diced avocado, crunchy tortilla chips, minced scallions, shredded sharp cheddar, sour cream, and lots of fresh cilantro!

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium-large onion, minced
  • 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons Mission City Tex Mex 
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed or diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • 1 cup robust red wine
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 can (about 15 ounces) pinto, cannellini, or black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 ½ ounces) hominy, drained

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, sturdy pot. Add the onion and peppers and sauté until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and Mission City Tex Mex Chili, and cumin seeds if using; sauté a minute or so more.
  2. Crumble the ground beef into the pot and cook, continuing to crumble the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and stock. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
  3. Mix in the canned beans along with the hominy. Stir to incorporate evenly throughout the chili. Cook 10 minutes more. Serve with an extravaganza of favorite chili toppings.
Serves 6

Written by Sarah Leah Chase

Sarah Leah Chase moved to Nantucket, Massachusetts, as a year-round resident in 1980 and opened a specialty food shop and catering business called Que Sera Sarah, which soon became an island institution.

 

Sarah develops recipes and concepts for her husband Nigel’s specialty food company, Coastal Goods. She lives with her family on Cape Cod, where she enjoys oystering and gardening as much as cooking.