Chili Con Carne with Moist Cornbread Muffins! Perfect Soul Food!

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground pork is often less expensive.

kidney beans

🥗Healthier: black beans

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Black beans are more nutritious, while canned beans can be more budget-friendly.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is often cheaper.

Soak 250 grams of pinto beans overnight, then drain and rinse them.

Put the soaked beans in a large pot with water and 1 bay leaf, ensuring water is at least an inch above the beans.

Cook the beans on medium to medium-high heat for 2 to 2.5 hours until tender, skimming foam off the top.

Toast 3 dried chilies on a baking tray in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5 to 10 minutes until they puff up.

Remove seeds from the chilies and blend them with 500 milliliters of warm water until smooth to make chili paste.

Cut 800 grams of beef chuck into small pieces and brown them in the oven on a baking tray.

In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and add 1 finely chopped red onion and 5 roughly chopped garlic cloves; sauté until fragrant.

Add 5 grams of chili powder, 15 grams of cumin, 20 grams of sweet smoked paprika, and 15 grams of dark cocoa powder to the pot.

Pour in 200 milliliters of beef stock, then add 680 grams of passata and 800 grams of chopped tomatoes, along with the chili paste and browned beef.

Stir everything together, season with a sprinkle of salt, cover, and bake at 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, taste and adjust seasoning, then add 50 grams of dark brown sugar, 50 grams of apple cider vinegar, and 20 grams of Worcestershire sauce.

Add all the cooked beans and 200 milliliters of reserved bean juice, then return to the oven at 170 degrees Celsius (325 degrees Fahrenheit) uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour until thickened.

Prepare cornbread by mixing 156 grams of flour, 156 grams of cornmeal, 132 grams of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 15 grams of baking powder.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 240 milliliters of milk, 75 grams of melted butter, and 1 egg.

Create a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir gently to combine.

Scoop the cornbread mix into muffin tins and bake at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes or 20-25 minutes in a 9-inch pan.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: