Chilli con carne with shiitake mushrooms
Equipment
- large casserole pan with lid
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium brown or white onions finely diced
- 500 grams Aberdeen Angus beef mince ideally 5% fat
- 3 large chilli peppers (red/green/or mixed) finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves peeled and finely diced
- 1 cube beef or chicken stock
- 3 tbsp tomato paste concentrated
- 2 quills Cinnamon
- 2 400g Cans of finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 large organic carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1 medium Romano pepper deseeded and finely diced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 400g can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 50g bunch fresh coriander stems and leaves separated
- 150 g Shiitake mushrooms washed and sliced
Spice blend
- 3 tsp sweet smoked paprika heaped
- 1 tsp ground garlic heaped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander heaped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano heaped
- 1 tsp dried thyme heaped
- 2 tsp smoked sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Gather the spices from your store cupboard and create the blend (this will save you a lot of time). Combine everything in a ramekin and set it aside.
- Finely chop the onions (red onions work great if you have them) and place them in a small bowl.
- Finely chop the chilli peppers and either grate or mince the garlic.
- Dice the carrot and Romano pepper into small cubes.
- Heat a large casserole pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until they become soft and translucent.
- Turn up the heat and add the Aberdeen Angus beef mince. Mix it thoroughly with the onions using a spatula. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the mince is free of clumps and lightly browned.
- Add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for a minute or two. Next, crumble in the stock cube and mix well.
- Sprinkle in the spice blend, and the cinnamon quills, and mix thoroughly. Add the concentrated tomato paste and mix again.
- Next, add the diced carrots and Romano pepper, cooking for another 2 minutes. Then, stir in the fresh coriander stems and mix well.
- Pour in the two cans of chopped tomatoes and the juice of a lime, then bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Once boiling, stir again, reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Add the strained red kidney beans and sliced Shiitake mushrooms, mixing thoroughly. Then, stir in the coriander leaves (reserving a few for garnish), cover, and simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Serve with a generous portion of brown basmati rice and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
Please note: like many stews, casseroles and curries the flavour is enhanced over time. We do our best not to devour the lot, and transfer what is left to a vacuum sealed glass container. We often leave this for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Whilst we love this dish with rice, it is equally good with pasta. Our chilli con carne has been added to spaghetti, linguine, radiatore and penne - all work really well.
If you cannot find Shiitake mushrooms, substitute with Chestnut, however I would cook for a few minutes less.