052 / 75 · Whole Cuts and Ground Meat
Beef and Sweet Pepper Bean Chili
2 bowls of beef-bean chili, each with 1 whole-wheat bread slice · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 15 min
Print recipe · PDFBeef and sweet pepper make a chili with a mild background of paprika and a small measured amount of cayenne. Commercially canned kidney beans keep the bean preparation straightforward; the recipe does not ask a beginner to improvise a dry-bean shortcut. Tomato sauce reduces around the beef and beans before a whole-wheat bread slice completes each meal. The useful skill is letting a wet pan become a stew of the intended thickness.
Give diced pepper enough time
Cut onion and pepper into small even pieces so neither needs a long rescue simmer after the meat is ready. Soften them first, then add ground beef and break it into crumbles. The measured ground-meat endpoint matters even when the tomato sauce later hides the color. Once garlic and dry spices go in, keep stirring and add the tomatoes promptly rather than leaving the spices on a bare hot base. Pure cayenne is used in a small quantity; a mixed chili seasoning can contain salt, thickeners and different heat levels.
Use the beans that the method describes
The base starts with freshly opened canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed, then weighed as edible solids. Whole can weight is not the amount of bean flesh in the saucepan. These beans are already commercially cooked, unlike dry kidney beans that need their own proper preparation. Add them after the tomato base has begun to thicken and simmer gently so some keep their shape. A narrow pot loses water more slowly than a wide one, so use the spoon trail and consistency as well as the suggested minutes.
Portion the complete meal
Divide the entire chili and the two bread slices as written. Cheese, sour cream, rice and avocado are possible separate choices, but they are not silently included in the stated estimate. If you change the bean product or beef fat percentage, use its own values. For a later meal, cool shallow portions promptly; a large hot saucepan should not sit on the worktop until cold. Previously cooked beans used as a variation retain their original storage deadline.
Ingredients
- 7 oz raw ground beef,90% lean/10% fat (200 g)
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (240 g edible solids)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (400 g/about 14 oz)
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced (150 g prepared)
- 1 small onion, diced (100 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (6 g)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (5 ml/about 4.5 g)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon pure ground cayenne (0.25 g)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 2 slices whole-wheat bread (80 g total)
Set out
3-liter/3-quart saucepan with lid, Sieve, Spoon, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Measuring jug, Food thermometer, 2 bowls
Allergens
Wheat; check bread labels for milk, sesame or other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Drain and rinse canned kidney beans and weigh 240 g. Heat oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and pepper for 9–11 minutes until softened.
- Add raw beef and break into small crumbles. Cook for 7–9 minutes until a gathered thick portion reaches 160°F/71°C, keeping the probe clear of the hot metal base. Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin and cayenne for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring along the base, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Fold in the cooked canned beans and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the whole chili reaches 165°F/74°C. Add a small splash of water if the base catches; if too thin, simmer uncovered a little longer. Divide between 2 bowls and serve each with 1 bread slice.
A useful kitchen skill
Soften vegetables before browning ground meat and judge a stew by its reduced consistency, not only a fixed clock.
A useful detail
Only commercially canned kidney beans are used in the base. The raw 90/10 beef’s full input composition and the bread are counted; an unmeasured fat drain or topping is not assumed.
Another way
- Replace canned kidney beans with 240 g drained canned pinto beans, heating thoroughly and using the corresponding product estimate.
- For a gentler chili, omit the 0.25 g cayenne; the estimate changes slightly and the paprika still contributes flavor.
Keep it well
Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed to 165°F/74°C throughout, stirring. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator. Store bread separately according to its package. If using beans cooked earlier, keep their original shorter storage deadline.