Pinto Bean and Chorizo Chili

So here we are with the first entry of the new blog. As it is the first entry I thought that I would start off with something a little Spicy in order to get the blood flowing. This weekend's project was a Pinto Bean and Chorizo Chili topped with Lime and Queso Fresco.

I made a big ol dutch oven of this for friends to eat while we played a game and the five of us were well filled with leftovers to spare. Of course the meal was rounded out by some great watermelon and discussion about the merits of salting your watermelon slices. As we live just outside DC it only felt right that Petey Greene's opinion on the topic had to be expressed.

I did find that it was best to have everyone place whatever toppings they prefer on their own chili as chili seems to be a dish that is highly personal. Due to the strong mix of flavors already in this chili, a greater range of toppings without taking away from the dish itself. I made one bowl where I added more raw jalapeno without the seeds, ribs and clear capsaicin layer to bring out the more berry like flavors of the pepper and drastically reduce the heat. That and some freshly squeezed lime juice brightened the dish up considerably.


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh Chorizo
2 medium sweet white onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ground ancho chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
2 Turkish bay leaves
2 teaspoons aniseed
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
2 16-ounce cans whole tomatoes in puree
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 yellow bell peppers, trimmed and diced
3 jalapeno peppers(two seeded and minced, one minced with seeds)
Salt and ground red pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley(or cilantro)

toppings:
queso fresco
lime wedges
sliced green onion
tortilla slice

Music:
Manu Chao-Proxima Estacion: Esperanza

Process
1. Heat the oil in a pan (I used a 5 quart dutch oven) over medium heat till hot. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook, turning every few minutes, till well browned and fully cooked. This should take around 15 minutes. When fully cooked, take the sausages out and lay them on a paper towel to soak up oil. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice.

2. Add onions to the pot and sweat them till they are softened, about five minutes. When onions are nice and soft, but have not yet browned, add the garlic, ancho chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, aniseed and coriander. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute. This will open up the flavors of the spices, but be careful not to burn them. Then add the tomatoes, beans, yellow peppers, jalapenos, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Break up the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon if you wish to have smaller bits.

3. When done you can set up a serving line where people can spoon up their own bowls and add the accompaniments that they prefer.


While cooking this meal I can think of no other music that ties into the liveliness of this dish than Manu Chao's album Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. Though Manu Chao is french and the food is more Mexican in origin, Chao's rhythms sampling interplays are a great way to keep your energy up while you are doing all the prepwork. On this album the language sang often shifts between French, Spanish, English, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese, many times within the same track. My favorite cuts from the album are: La Primavera, Me Gustas Tu, and Mi Vida