Chili Con Carne

I've never been to Mexico. But I ought to, for I have heard much of this beautiful country. And here in Stuttgart, I've made friends with 2 wonderful Mexican girls.

This evening, I made a Chili Con Carne to go with some left-over steamed rice. I first tried the dish a few months ago and found it too fade then and after a few tries, improved on it. Here is my recipe :

Olive Oil

500g Minced Beef

a few slices of Bacon

2 onions (sliced)

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1 Tsp ground Cumin

1 Tsp Chilli powder

1 Tsp ground Coriander seeds

1 can peeled Tomatoes

1 Bay leaf

1 Tbsp Oregano leaves

1 Tsp Thyme leaves

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 can Beer or 1 glass White Wine

1 can Red Kidney Beans

Half a Red Bell Pepper (sliced or diced)

2 cups Chicken or Beef Stock

1 Tbsp pre-cooked Corn Flour

Some fresh Coriander leaves

Salt and Pepper

Grated Cheddar or Emmenthal Cheese

First fry the bacon slices in a pan till crispy. Remove and set aside. Add in a generous amount of olive oil and brown the onions, garlic and peppers. Make a few patties with the minced beef and add them to the pan to be grilled on both sides. Add in the ground cumin, chilli and coriander, oregano, thyme and brown sugar.

Next, add in the can of peeled tomatoes and use a fork to cut up the tomatoes and beef patties and even them out in the sauce. Add in the beer or wine, vinegar, stock and beans. Sprinkle in the corn flour, return the bacon (in bits) to the pan, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and grated Cheddar or Emmenthal cheese.