Smoky Chili Recipe

and I had children, but I did like to cook from time to time. It was an era of
seductive dishes—sautéed soft-shell crabs, flaming Provencal beef daubes, and
Moroccan pigeon pastillas—that I have had little time for in recent years. As
my children start to grow up, though, I getting my life organized a little
better, and I’m starting to return to some of the dishes of our early married
life.

One of them—an intensely mouthwatering and faintly smoky
three-bean-and-beef chili—happens to be somewhat well suited to life with
children. I was willing to bet that they would eat it, given that it has many
similar components to what my girls like to eat already—ground beef and
tomatoes, for example, are akin to their beloved Bolognese and the black beans
speak for themselves.

The other reason that it’s well suited for life with
children, is that it can be made in large batches. The pot I cooked up last
Sunday lasted us almost all week, if various lunches and last minute dinners
were to be included. I love any dish that can do so much work around the house.

But let me get back to the flavor. This chili is a little
different than most chilis that I’ve had before, because I make it with Spanish
paprika that has a rich smoky flavor. The paprika is the key ingredient, so
don’t omit it. I used a dulce Spanish paprika, because I didn’t want the chili
to be too hot. If you want it spicy, try a picante one (The Kitchn has a good
explanation of various paprikas), but whatever you do, make sure it’s a smoky
one.

I made the dish on a Sunday, with the intention of serving
it the following night. It was to be the first time that Nina and Pinta would
be trying it. I was a bit anxious about how it would go, but I tried to
remember one key thing about getting kids to eat new foods—they won’t starve if
they don’t eat it.

I thought about talking up the dish’s similarities with the
things they have had before, but I decided against it. Sometimes, you just have
to let the dish speak for itself. I got the usual protestations, but they were
surprisingly muted. I’d set the table with some toppings—a generous bowl of
grated cheddar, some sliced scallions—and Nina put copious amounts of cheese on
hers as she ate it. I thought she might be eating more cheese than chili, but
that was fine by me. Pinta didn’t want to bother with it much at all, and let
her eat rice and butter, and she was fine, too. As for me, I was able to savor the flavor, relax, and
enjoy the meal.

Smoky Chili

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 strips of bacon, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup dry white or red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• One 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes, run through a blender
  or otherwise chopped
• 16 ounces each of cooked black beans, garbanzo beans, and
  kidney beans (I made my own, but you can certainly used canned ones)
• 1 tablespoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves

In a bit of olive oil, sauté the onion, bacon, carrot, and
celery, until the onion is soft and the bacon fat rendered.

Add the garlic and sauté a moment more.

Add the beef and cook until brown, breaking it up with a
wooden spoon (or a potato masher).

After the beef is browned, add the wine, and reduce.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beans,
and all the spices and herbs.

Bring to a boil and simmer as long as you feel like it. It
doesn’t need much more cooking at this point.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rice, garnished with grated cheddar cheese,
sliced scallions, cream cheese, and/or any topping of your choice.

Here's a photo of the finished dish: