Ray's Chili

The first meal Ray & I ever made together was a quick and easy pork stir-fry. Our kitchen skills meshed relatively well so we branched out into other simple suppers. A pasta dish here, a quick chicken breast there, but things stuck to a pretty standard path. One evening Ray proposed a big batch of chili as per his dad's "secret" recipe. To be honest, chili had never really perked my epicurean interests. My ambivalence toward the Texas standard probably had something to do with many a bad bowl of ground beef under the guise of chili.

Setting my apprehension aside, I went along with the chili plan, & was more than pleasantly surprised; I was smitten! This stuff was great!! Over the years Ray & I have been tweaking his dad's classic recipe to fit our more adventurous predisposition, but we never stray too far. His three bean combination lends a nice texture & flavor complexity that I often find sorely lacking in most chilies. Our adaptation of poblanos & thyme compliment one another while taking a bit of the weight out of the typically heavy flavor of this dish. Drizzle with lime juice & pinch of cilantro and you've got really something!


Ray's Chili
1 15. oz. can black beans, strained and rinsed
1 15. oz. can kidney beans, strained and rinsed
1 15. oz. can garbanzo beans, strained and rinsed
1 15. oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 lb. ground turkey (or beef or even ground pork would be nice!)
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. sweet vermouth
1/2. c. red wine
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, seeded & diced (these are sometimes called ancho, meaning wide, chilies)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & diced (reserve some of the seeds if you want a bit more kick)
1 carrot, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/4. tsp. pimenton
3 tsp. chili powder
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme


Drizzle the bottom of a large stock pot or dutch oven with olive oil & bring the heat up to medium. Saute the ground turkey (or beef) until cooked through (about 4 minutes) then set aside. Add a bit more oil then, saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Toss in the poblanos, garlic, jalapeno, & carrots then saute until the veggies are soft.

Combine the drained and rinsed beans, ground turkey, diced tomatoes (and their juice) in the pot with the veggies. Stir to combine. Add the wine, vermouth, & chicken stock. At this point the consistency will be a bit soupy, so fold in (up to a whole small can of) tomato paste until it begins to thicken.

Season with cumin, curry, chili powder, worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, pimenton, & fennel. At this point, give it a taste then season with salt & pepper to your liking. Add the reserved jalapeño seeds if you want to add more heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes or longer for the flavors to fully incorporate in the dish.

Garnish with sliced red onion, shredded carrots, avocado, sour cream, lime juice, fresh cilantro, or any number of other things to your liking.  Oh yeah!  Don't forget to pair it with a cold Texas beer, anything from Real Ale Brewing Co. is fantastic, but if you aren't lucky enough to live in the Lone Star State, just pick up a sixer of good ol' Shiner.