Fourby Chili (Black Beans Beer and Broccoli)

2 c black beans, dried
2 bottles stout Guiness Extra or Watney’s Cream or San Miguel dark beer
2 cn tomatoes or fresh, diced
26-ounce cans tomato paste
2 long (mild) chili peppers, seeded and diced
3 md jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and diced
3 serrano chili peppers, seeded and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 c whole kernel corn (frozen or fresh)
2 T white vinegar
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 T oregano
1/2 t black pepper
1 t red peppers, crushed (or mote to taste)
1/4 c peanut butter
1 t salt
1 T olive oil
2 heads broccoli

Rinse the black beans, pick out any pebbles; then cover with water and let soak overnight. Then pour off the soaking water, add 1 bottle of stout, and add fresh water to cover the beans plus about 1″. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partway (it will boil over if fully covered) and let cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water if neccessary.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and all chili peppers. Saute a few minutes until soft, then add to the beans. Add the vinegar and spices and the diced tomatoes; simmer for another half hour, stirring. As the liquid from the tomatoes boils off, start adding stout from the second bottle. About half of this bottle is reserved for the cook. Add the corn and the peanut butter, simmer for another hour or so, keeping it moist enough (with stout and/or water) so that it doesn’t crust over. Stir occassionally.

Best if you let it sit overnight, and reheat it for dinner the next day.

To serve: Cut the florets off of the broccoli, and steam until done (but crisp). Serve the chili with a sprinkle of chopped onions and grated cheddar cheese on top (for vegan, omit cheese or use tofu cheese). The broccoli can either be stirred in at the last minute, pressed on top of the chili for nice presentation, or placed along side it. Serve with Spanish rice and with warmed corn tortillas!

Yield: 1 Serving

Frank X Tolbert’s Original Bowl Of Red

3 lb beef, lean
1/8 lb rendered beef kidney suet
1 t each oregano, cumin powder, salt, cayenne pepper and Tabasco
3 T chile powder (optional)
4 hot chile peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 t masa harina

Texas chili is meat and spices and that’s it. The legendary Wick Fowler added a little tomato sauce to his to thicken it, but actual tomatoes and onions do not appear, nor do beans. If you must have beans, you cook them in a separate pot and people can serve them with the chili as much as they like.

Sear beef in a 4qt+ Dutch oven or skillet. You may need a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. When the meat is all gray, add suet and chile peppers and about two inches of liquid (you can use water or beer). Simmer for 30 min. Add spices and garlic, bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add more liquid only to keep the mix from burning. Skim off as much grease as you can, and add masa harina. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.

Yield: 1 Serving