Beef & Spolumbo’s Sausage Chili

Name: Beef & Spolumbo’s Sausage Chili
Ingredients: canola or olive oil, for cooking; 1 large onion, peeled and chopped; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional); 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground sirloin; 2 Spolumbo’s Italian or chorizo sausages (or whatever you have available-the big, fresh ones); 2-4 Tbsp. chili powder; 1 Tbsp. cocoa; 1 tsp. cumin; 1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 1 – 14 oz. (398 mL) can brown beans, with pork or in tomato sauce (optional); 1 cup beef broth or Guinness; 1 cup salsa; salt and pepper to taste

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

canola or olive oil, for cooking

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground sirloin

2 Spolumbo’s Italian or chorizo sausages (or whatever you have available-the big, fresh ones)

2-4 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cumin

1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 14 oz. (398 mL) can brown beans, with pork or in tomato sauce (optional)

1 cup beef broth or Guinness

1 cup salsa

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions in for a few minutes, until they soften. Add the red pepper and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef and sausage, squeezed out of its casing, and cook it, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until it’s no longer pink.

Add the chili powder, cocoa and cumin and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, beans, beef broth and salsa and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Keep it covered if it’s thick enough for your taste – if it seems thin, leave the lid off so that the excess liquid can evaporate. Season with salt and pepper as you see fit.

Serve hot, topped with sour cream and grated cheese, or cool it down and then refrigerate it for a day or two; reheat over low heat on the stovetop. To make chili cheese fries, serve hot chili over oven-roasted fries, topped with cheese curds or grated cheddar, Gouda or Monterey Jack.