Name: Beef and Black Bean Chili
Yield: Makes 3 Quarts, About 8 to 12 Servings
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt or sea salt, or to taste; 4 teaspoons paprika, preferably Hungarian; Cilantro sprigs; 4 teaspoons cumin seeds; 1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar, or to taste; 1 bay leaf; 3 medium yellow onions, chopped; Ripe avocado wedges (optional, but good); ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste; Lime wedges; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped coarse; 5 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 cups dried black beans, sorted and soaked overnight, then drained (Dried Bean Basics); 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chilies, or to taste; 1½ pounds beef shin or chuck, cut in ¾-inch cubes; 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped, with juices; grated Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese; 4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves; ¼ cup best-quality chili powder, or more or less to taste; Sour cream

Preparation info

Makes
3 Quarts

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Get in There and Cook

By Richard Sax

Published 1997

About

Closely based on Deborah Madison’s black bean chili, which, she notes, has been served at Greens, the great vegetarian restaurant overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, every day since they opened in 1979. Deborah’s use of seasonings is masterful; particularly so is her use of a small amount of chipotle chilies (smoked jalapeños, available dried and canned and jarred in adobo sauce or without the sauce), a touch that has been widely copied across the country.