I made this chili recipe a few months ago and totally forgot about it until I started poking through pictures on my phone this morning. As a result, it’s back, and I’m excited to be able to share it with you. This recipe is fairly simple and it creates a chili with a really deep flavor. I’ve adapted it a bit from the cookbook (Well Fed) because I don’t like how much chocolate was used in the original recipe. But if you ask Andrew, he’d double the chocolate in the recipe. And that’s why I don’t ask him. Well, sometimes I do, but not this time.

Chocolate Chili

Adapted from Well Fed

• 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 vidalia onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground chipotle peppers
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth
• 1 cup water

1. Heat a large stock pot  over medium high heat. Add onions and let cook dry for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable broth as a time to let the onions cook. The broth will evaporate within a minute or two, and every time it does, continue to add 2 tbsp until the onions are translucent.
2. Add garlic and stir in with onions. After about 30 seconds, crumble the ground beef into the pan and mix to combine with the onions and garlic.
3. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Add spice mixture to pot.
4. Add tomato paste to pot, and stir until combined.
5. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the beef broth, and the water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the chili simmers. Allow to simmer for no less than 2 hours. The longer the chili simmers, the more complex the flavors become.