Chilli Con Carne with a Spicy Cinnamon Twist

My old housemate Rob used to make this chilli all the time. It’s the best chilli I have tasted but in an unusual no tomato or peppers kind of way and can imagine it’s not everyones cup of tea. With the addition of red wine and cinnamon, this to me feels like a more authentic, spicier chilli con carne with its depth of flavours. Its quite fiery so I serve it with soured cream to take the edge off some of the heat. This recipe is from Jo Pratt’s The Nation’s Favourite Food

Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg lean minced beef
2 glasses red wine
2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
a good shake of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar or a thumbnail sized piece of dark chocolate
2x400g can red kidney beans, drained
1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to serve
wedges of lime, to serve
soured cream, to serve

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and pepper and the sugar or chocolate. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.

Add the kidney beans and cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary.

Serve with lime wedges, soured cream and rice or crusty bread, jacket potatoes and a big green salad.