Turkey, Black Bean and Chorizo Chili

[KatieLoeb]

Turkey, Black Bean and Chorizo Chili

Serves 12 as Main Dish.

I created this recipe years ago after a conversation with Chef Robert DelGrande of Cafe Annie in Houston. There had been an article regarding his expertise on the subject of chile peppers in Bon Appetit, and since I was working on a chili recipe for a local cook-off, I called him and he was gracious enough to give me some great advice. The secret is the seasoning paste made from dried chiles that have been lightly toasted to bring the oils to the surface. He also suggested that the blender would give a better textured result to the flavoring paste than a food processor, and wouldn't "pulverize" the chiles and seasonings too much. Lastly, he explained to me that sweet ingredients (sugar, molasses, honey, etc.) "slow down" the attack of the heat of the chiles, so you don't blow out your palate on the first bite. I decided to do the black beans for the smokey flavor and as a bow to my Cuban mother's very best kitchen creation, to use ground turkey to be pseudo-health conscious (and different than the other entries) and the chorizo, just because you can't have NO fat or flavor, right? Here's the final result. I've won two local chili competitions and the hearts of several ex-boyfriends and one ex-husband with this recipe.

• 2-1/2 c black turtle beans
  
• 2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
  
• water as required
  
• 2 lb ground turkey
  
• 12 oz chorizo sausage
  
• 3 14.5 oz cans diced, peeled tomatoes in juice
  
• 2 large bay leaves
  
• 3 large dried Ancho chiles
  
• 5 small (2") dried Chile de Arbol
  
• 3 T Sherry wine vinegar
  
• 1-1/2 T cumin powder (preferably freshly pan toasted and ground seeds)
  
• 1-1/2 T Mexican oregano
  
• 3 T pure Maple syrup
  
• 1 large or 2 medium Red bell pepper
  
• 1 large or 2 medium Yellow bell pepper
  
• 2 medium Onions
  
• 4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
  
• 1/8 c Goya or other flavorful Spanish EVOO
  
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  
• 1/3 c loosely packed fresh coriander leaves
  
• Hot cooked Rice
  
• 1 Lb shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  

Wash and sort the beans. Soak overnight in 3 cups of water. Place beans and any remaining soaking liquid in a very large pot. Add 1.5 cans of broth plus .5 cans water to the beans. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Turn down heat to medium-low (simmer) and continue to cook.

Meanwhile, saute and mash turkey in non-stick skillet until browned. Drain well and add to pot. Remove chorizo from casing and saute in same skillet, breaking up well with a fork until browned. Drain very well and blot excess fat with paper towels. Add to pot along with 3 cans of tomatoes and juice, and the bay leaves.

Stem and seed the dried chiles. Toast in a small saucepan over medium heat about 4 minutes or until fragrant. DO NOT BURN CHILES. Carefully add remaining .5 can of broth and 3 T of Sherry vinegar to chiles and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook 7-9 minutes, until chiles are softened. Add chiles and cooking liquid to blender along with half of minced garlic, the cumin and oregano. Blend briefly to chop. Add maple syrup and 1/8 cup water and blend briefly again. Add chile flavoring paste to pot. Rinse out the blender container with 1/8 cup water to access all remaining chile paste and add to chili pot. Stir chili very well to incorporate ingredients and continue cooking for approximately one hour and twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, wash, core and seed bell peppers. Cut into 1/4" dice. Peel and dice onions to similar size. Saute peppers and onions and remaining garlic in 1/8 cup EVOO over medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent and peppers are softened. Add vegetables to pot after skimming any fat that may have risen to the surface while simmering. Stir well to incorporate.

After 15 minutes, whirl tomato sauce in blender with coriander leaves until leaves are well minced. Add to chili and stir well. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until chili is thickened and beans are softened. Total cooking time for chili is about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Serve over hot cooked rice with lots of shredded Monterey Jack cheese as garnish.

Keywords: Turkey, Beans, Main Dish, Tex-Mex

( RG287 )