Hot Damn! That is Some Tasty Chili!

This is the reason we think humanity will be OK through any disaster - awesome chili! This recipe is made from dried and canned goods, a few fresh greens easily grown in your backyard garden, and special spices that have been double top secret until now. Makes a giant pot of vegetarian chili that will stay good for a long time, even unrefrigerated. Gets better with age, too! Click Read More for the full recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup black beans (measured dry – sprouted )
• 1 cup red chili beans (measured dry – sprouted )
• 5 sprigs fresh oregano (or tsp dry oregano)
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 carrot
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 jalapeño
• 2 – 7oz cans Fire-roasted Diced Green Chilies
• 1 – 28oz can + 1 – 16oz can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable, or turkey)
• 1 tbsp bacon fat (or butter)
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Top with:

• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro

After you have sprouted your beans , rinse them and put them in a large chili pot (you know the one.) Add water to cover by two inches. Add fresh sprigs of oregano – stems and all. Cover and bring to a boil. Take heat down to a simmer and cook until tender – about 30 minutes. When tender, drain and pick out the oregano stems. Now put the beans back in the chili pot.

*note: do not salt the beans while cooking.

Heat the oven to 450° F. Slice the top off the garlic bulb and place it in a terra cotta garlic roaster. If you don’t have one, you should really get one. They are inexpensive and they don’t take up much space. If you are in the middle of cooking and you don’t have time to get one – just use something that can be covered and take high heat. Pour a touch of olive oil on the exposed garlic, cover and roast until soft – about 20 min. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Place your jalapeño directly on the rack in the oven at the same time as the garlic. Place aluminum foil directly under it to catch dripping juices. It is done when the skin is blistered and peeling. Once done – place in a paper bag until cool.

While the beans are cooking and the garlic and jalapeños are roasting, chop up the onion and the carrot. Sauté* uncovered in a preheated cast iron pan with ¼ cup olive oil and a dash of salt until tender. Throw them in the chili pot.

*for a grilled taste: Heat up the dry cast iron pan. Mix the onion, carrot, olive oil, and salt in a separate bowl. Pour the ingredients into the hot pan – but do not stir. Let the ingredients singe on one side (about 1 minute) then turn and let them singe on the other side. Continue this until you have some nice brown to black edges on the onion and carrot.

Now grind up your chili powder.
Chili Powder Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tbsp course sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp dried sage

Grind together with a mortar and pestle. You can also use a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet, but a mortar and pestle feels more like you are infusing the chili powder with love and goodness. This is also a good job for any extra cooks (friends, family) looking for some way to help after all the cans have been opened.

Add the seasonings, canned tomatoes and green chilies to the pot.

Squeeze the pulp of the roasted garlic directly into the chili pot. If the garlic is not yet cool, use a cloth to protect your hand.

Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño, chop and add to the chili. If you want it spicier add the seed - but be careful!

Add the bacon fat, molasses, apple cider vinegar and the rest of the olive oil.

Add the stock and bring the chili to a slow simmer.

Simmer for 1 hour. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 min.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro on top. Don't be alarmed if this chili causes eyes to roll back and knees to buckle.