Classic Beef and Bean Chili

From the garden

• 1 cup dried beans (pinto or kidney), soaked overnight and drained — short on time? use two 15-oz cans, rinsed, added for the last 30 minutes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

From the pantry

• 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
• 2½ tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can canned crushed tomatoes — 28-ounce
• 3 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (optional) — for topping
• ½ cup sour cream (optional) — for topping
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Brown the beef in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles, 6–8 minutes until no longer pink and the fond starts sticking (ground beef is safe at 160°F, and it will simmer far past that here). Move it to a bowl, leaving the fat behind.
2. Cook the onion and bell pepper in the drippings with a pinch of salt 5–6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly — blooming the spices in fat is where chili gets its depth.
3. Add the soaked beans, crushed tomatoes, stock, and browned beef. Bring to a boil, then drop to a bare simmer, partially cover, and cook 75–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are fully creamy inside with no chalky center. Top up with water if it ever looks dry — the beans must stay submerged.
4. Uncover and simmer 15–20 minutes more until the chili thickens enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a brief trail. Only salt generously now, at the end — salting the liquid early can keep some heirloom beans from softening.
5. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat, then ladle into bowls and pass the cheddar and sour cream at the table. Cornbread or rice alongside is traditional.