Classic Chili Con Carne with Cornbread
Slow-cooked beef and beans in a rich tomato sauce spiced with chilis and cumin make this an inviting meal on a wintry day. Warm, crumbly, moist cornbread studded with corn kernels and mild green chiles makes the perfect accompaniment for a classic chili con carne.
Chili Con Carne
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound lean stewing beef, trimmed and cut into small cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon crushed dried chiles
1 tablespoon tomato puree
105 g chopped tomatoes, undrained
105 g red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 cups beef stock
Cornbread
Butter
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 cup fresh corn
1 small mild fresh green chile, seeded and finely chopped
- For chili con carne, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté 4 minutes or until well browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to low, add onion to pot and sauté 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin seed and chiles, and sauté 1 minute, then return beef to pan. Add tomato puree, tomatoes, beans and stock, and stir well. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour or until meat is tender.
- For cornbread, preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a shallow 8-inch square pan with butter. In a medium bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine egg and milk, then stir into cornmeal mixture until evenly moist. Fold in corn and chile. Spoon into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.
- Turn cornbread out of pan onto a wire rack, then cut into large squares. Serve chili con carne in warm bowls with warm cornbread.
Serves 6
The Ultimate Soup Cookbook, Reader's Digest
