Double-Beef Chili with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes
This recipe can be found on page 131 of my Five Marys Family Style Cookbook!
This is the ultimate meat-lover’s chili. It’s also a great way to cook brisket! Made with slow-cooked chunks of brisket that become tender with a few hours’ cooking time, plus the traditional ground beef, it has a gentle background heat as well as a natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes. What I love best about chili is that it’s infinitely flexible and expands to feed whoever needs to be fed. And of course, this one also freezes well.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, plus more as needed, divided
• 2 pounds Five Marys ground beef
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 pounds beef brisket, thick fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups water
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, and chopped onions, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Makes 8 to 10 servings
First, brown the meat. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the ground beef, break it up with a spoon, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat occasionally, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Season the brisket chunks on all sides with salt and pepper, add them to the pan, and cook until browned on all sides, turning only once the beef releases easily from the pan, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer the brisket to the bowl with the ground beef, leaving enough fat in the pan to coat the onions (about 2 tablespoons).
Reduce the heat to medium and if the pan seems dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, then cook and stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and oregano, and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes, or until the spices are fragrant and beginning to stick to the pan. Add the water, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan as it bubbles away for a minute or two, then add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, then stir in the beans with their liquid, chilies, sweet potatoes, and all the reserved beef. Return toa simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook the chili for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so.
Season to taste with additional salt and chili powder then serve piping hot, garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, and chopped onions. Allow any leftover chili to cool completely before storing in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes before serving.