chili: easy and yummy!

This recipe was given to me by my good friend, Kathy Blech. We call it ‘chalupa’ and it’s a HUGE favorite by anyone who makes it. It’s great overnight or all day in a crock-pot or it can be done on the stove. However you make it, you’ll be amazed at how good it is. And think of all the praise you’ll get!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. beef roast, (can use port roast or 1/2-1/2)
1 lb. pinto beans, dried
2 pods garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp. chile powder
2 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. oregano, dried
2 large cans diced chiles
1 Tbsp. salt

Instructions:
Rinse pinto beans thoroughly, picking out foreign objects. Cut beef up in large chunks (3-5 inch strips).

Place beans in crock pot, add rest of ingredients. Cover with water. Cover and set crock pot to low setting and cook for 10 hours. Break up meat and stir.

On stove top: Place beans in dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients. Cover with water. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Add water as needed heating water before adding. Simmer for 6 hours. Break up meat and, with lid off, cook until thick (about 1 hour). To cook faster, soak beans overnight covered with water and two TBS of white vinegar. Rinse and add to pot; follow instructions. Cook for 4 hours, or until beans and meat are cooked through.

This recipe can be made with canned pinto beans if you are in a real hurry and forgot (or don’t want to!) to soak beans overnight. 4 15 oz. cans equal one pound of dried pinto beans. Place beans and cut-up beef in pot with remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Cook on simmer for 2 hours, or until beef is cooked through.

To spice this recipe up, feel free to go crazy with the chile pepper. You can even add a little (or a lot) of cayenne pepper. I have also bumped it up a bit by using chipolte chili pepper or ancho chili pepper or all of them! Be creative and make it the way you and your family like it.

This can be served burrito style or in a bowl like chile. Sometimes we’ll put fritos in the bottom of a bowl, followed by chalupa and then pile on the rest. yummmmmm

Recommended condiments:
lettuce, shredded
tomatoes,diced
avocado, diced
green onion, diced
red onion, diced
cheese, shredded (try some Mexican cheese; it’s yummy!)
cilantro, chopped
fritos

Yields: 8