Chili

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb dried great northern bean
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer, not dark
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
• 4 anaheim chilies or 4 new mexico green chilies, charred, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon crushed cumin seed
• 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons ground new mexico red chilies
• 1 lb tomatillo, husks removed by soaking
• 1 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• cilantro leaf, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the beans: pick beans over for debris, then place in a sieve and rinse well. transfer to a large pot. add the water, onion, garlic and some black pepper. simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until tender. add the salt during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• 2 to prepare the chili: while the beans are cooking, pour the beer into a 4-quart pot. add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, green chiles, oregano and cumin. simmer for 10 minutes.
• 3 cut the chicken into strips, then dice. add to the chili along with the chicken broth. sprinkle the red chile over the top and simmer for 15 minutes.
• 4 combine the tomatillos, cilantro, vinegar and salt in a food processor and process to a salsa consistency. stir into the chili. add the drained cooked beans and simmer for 20 minutes. season to taste with salt.
• 5 ladle a generous cup of chili into each serving bowl. sprinkle 1/3 cup grated cheese on top of each bowl. if desired, run under the broiler until the cheese is golden. garnish with cilantro leaves.