Gringo Chili

So I just can’t shake this spicy kick I’m on. Gringo Chili is my spicy offering today. Unlike my Texas Beef Chili, which shuns beans of any type, this chili is chock full of black beans. Jay and I just kind of threw this together, without any proper recipe a few years ago. But we liked it so much, I jotted the ingredients down. Every New Year’s Eve we settle down with a big pot of this chili to ring in the New Year, and it usually makes several other appearances throughout the winter. Let me say right now before we go any further, this chili is spicy! It gets the majority of its kick from the jar of Green Mountain Gringo Salsa that we add to it. (Hence its name) Generally we do add an entire jar and we usually use the “hot” variety, though I listed “medium” heat salsa in the ingredients list, since I know everyone does not share our love of spice. Green Mountain Gringo also has a “mild” heat salsa for those of you with really tender taste buds. Of course, you can substitute in your favourite salsa if you have one, but if you haven’t tried the good old Green Mountain Gringo brand, you might want to give it a whirl. This chili is wonderfully flavourful, hearty and spicy. It will definitely warm you up on a cold winter’s eve. I usually serve it with several toppings. Folks seem to love the Fritos for adding a lovely salty crunch to each bite and the guacamole/sour cream toppings for cooling things down a bit! I also make up a batch of corn muffins (Cheddar & Cilantro Cornbread Muffins to be specific – recipe to follow soon!) to go along with the meal, which are always welcome. Pop open your favourite beer and you’ll be set to dig in!

Gringo Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. hot Italian Sausage
• 2 –  14.5 oz. cans of Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes (we use the ones with zesty jalapeños or chilis)
• 1/2 – 1 jar of salsa of your choice – we usually use Green Mountain Gringo medium heat salsa
• 1 – 15.5 oz. can of black beans
• 1 cup of lager beer
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 -2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tablespoon cornmeal (used to thicken chili)
• Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, guacamole, chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large pot, brown ground beef and sausage. Drain off excess fat.

Add diced tomatoes, salsa, beans, beer, Worchesterhire sauce, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes. ( If you are not in a rush, I usually bring the chili to simmer and then reduce the heat to low and let it go for 1-2 hours).

Once you are close to getting ready to serve, place 3 tablespoons cornmeal in a small dish and add remaining lager beer, or broth from chili to cornmeal. Add enough liquid to the cornmeal that it is pourable. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps. Add cornmeal mixture to chili, stir well and increase heat for 3-5 minutes until chili has thickened.

Stir in the fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve garnished with toppings of your choice, corn muffins and plenty of beer to wash it down!

Enjoy!