Lamb and Black Bean Chili Recipe
An Update on Classic Chili Featuring Earthy Beans and Lean Lamb
Boneless leg of lamb and black beans combine with dark beer, tomatoes, fresh chilies, and robust seasonings to make an incredibly flavorful, sophisticated chili recipe.
Looking for a lamb recipe or a bowl of chili with something different? Then try this up-to-date variation on a classic, featuring lean chunks of lamb, robust black beans, and fresh chili peppers, all simmered with tomatoes, beer, and other seasonings to make one of the most flavorful bowls of chili you've ever tasted.
The rich earthiness of the black beans wonderfully complements the sweet, meaty flavor of the lamb. While you can use any inexpensive lamb stew meat for a lamb chili, it's definitely worthwhile to go to the slight extra expense of asking the butcher to cut up some boned leg of lamb mean for you. You'll get leaner, less gristly meat that way.
The following recipe gives you the choice of adding fewer or more chili peppers. Hold back on the chilies if you prefer a milder, more subtle-tasting result; or opt for the larger numbers if you like your food spicier. The lamb and black beans are certainly capable of standing up to the heat.
Speaking of heat, a dollop of sour cream adds a soothing counterpoint to each bowl. Fresh chives and cilantro add their own bright sparks of color and flavor to each serving.
Lamb and Black Bean Chili
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-by-1/2-inch chunks
- 2 to 4 fresh green Anaheim chilies, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 or 2 fresh green ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 or 2 fresh red Serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 medium red bell pepper, halved, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch squares
- 1 medium green bell pepper, halved, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch squares
- 3 1/2 cups canned beef broth
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles dark beer
- 1 pound dried black beans, picked over to remove any stones or debris, rinsed
- 1 pound firm ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup sour cream, for garnish
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Method:
- In a large, heavy pot, heat half of the olive oil over high heat. Add half of the lamb and sauté until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat and set aside in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and meat.
- Carefully pour off half the fat from the pot and return the pot to medium heat. Add the chilies, garlic, onion, and cumin seeds. Sauté, stirring briskly, until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add the carrots and bell peppers and sauté for 2 minutes more.
- Add the broth, beer, beans, tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a full boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Return the lamb pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot and stir them in thoroughly. Cover the pot and cook until the lamb and the beans are tender and the chili is thick, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Before serving, discard the bay leaves. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and garnish individual servings to taste with sour cream, cilantro, and chives.
For a great, easy accompaniment, serve the chili with Parmesan Sourdough Toasts. If you'd like to explore other great, meaty chili recipes, try Sirloin Steak-Lover's Chili or Classic Chili Dog Chili. For something lighter but no less flavorful, have a look at recipes for Chicken Breast and White Bean Chili or Hearty Ground Turkey Chili.
