Chilli Con Carne

There are so many variations of Chilli Con Carne but this has to be one of the BEST!  It takes a while to make so pour yourself a glass of red... the wait is most definitely worth it!

• Difficulty: Medium
• Category: Comfort Food, Winter Warmers
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Cooking Method: One Pot Dish

Ingredients

For the braised mince

• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 small onions (peeled & chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (peeled & finely chopped)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 500 g beef mince
• 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 500 ml beef stock

For the chilli con carne

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion (peeled & finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled & finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 350 ml red wine
• 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
• splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 red chillies (finely chopped)
• Braised mince (see above)
• 250 g mushrooms (thickly sliced)
• 400 g tin of red kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
• 250 ml beef stock

To serve

• 300 g long-grain rice (cooked according to packet instructions, drained)
• 4 warmed tortilla wraps
• 150 ml soured cream
• 100 g mature cheddar cheese
• 1 small handful fresh coriander (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. To make the braised mince, heat half of the vegetable oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the onions, garlic and herbs and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a separate pan over a medium heat. Add a third of the beef mince and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until browned.
3. Transfer the browned mince to the pan containing the onions, garlic and herbs.
4. Repeat the process twice more, overloading the pan will not speed things up because the pan will lose heat, so take your time.
5. Return the pan containing the cooked mince and vegetables to a medium heat. Add the canned tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce and stir the mixture well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
6. Add the stock to the beef and tomatoes mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer for one hour, uncovered, or until the volume of liquid has reduced slightly and the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool. Now pour yourself a glass of red and prepare the ingredients for the Chilli Con Carne.
7. For the chilli con carne, heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and slightly browned.
8. Stir in all the ground spices until they coat the onions and garlic, then pour in the red wine and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
9. Add the chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and chopped red chillies and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
10. Add the braised mince, mushrooms, kidney beans and beef stock, stir well, then simmer over a low heat, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has thickened and the flavours have intensified.
11. To serve, divide the rice equally among four serving plates. Spoon over the chilli con carne. Place one tortilla alongside each serving. Place the soured cream and cheese into small bowls and serve alongside.