Black Bean Chili

SERVES 4 TO 6 • TO PREP 1 HOUR • STORE UP TO 3 DAYS • TO FINISH 1 HOUR

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Packed with chiles, garlic, tomatoes, pork, and plenty of chili powder, Latin-inspired black bean chili should be hearty and satisfying, with bold flavors that deepen over a few days in the fridge. To develop a make-ahead version of this dish, our biggest challenge would be getting perfectly cooked beans. We applied what we had learned when developing our White Bean and Kale Stew, simmering the black beans with baking soda and salt for just 30 minutes on day one to ensure that they would turn tender in less than an hour when reheated. Adding ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda to the chili when reheating helped to speed up the reheating time further. Tomatoes are a key component of this chili, but their acidity can prevent beans from softening. To avoid this, we added the tomatoes toward the end of the cooking time, once the beans were nearly tender, then simmered the chili until thickened. Chunks of red bell pepper went in along with the tomatoes so that they would retain their firm texture and add freshness to the chili. To round out the chili, spicy chorizo and smoky paprika added depth of flavor, and chili powder lent lingering heat. If you can’t find Spanish chorizo, you can substitute andouille sausage. In addition to lime wedges, this chili is great served with sour cream, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, chopped tomatoes, and minced onion. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

9

cups water

1

pound (2½ cups) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

Salt and pepper

1

tablespoon baking soda

1½

teaspoons cumin seeds

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

6

ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick

1

onion, chopped

4

garlic cloves, minced

1

tablespoon chili powder

2

teaspoons smoked paprika

2

cups chicken broth

2

bay leaves

TO FINISH AND SERVE

⅛

teaspoon baking soda

1

(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1

red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces

¼

cup minced fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

TO PREP

1. Refrigerate 1 cup water. Bring remaining 2 quarts water, beans, 1½ tablespoons salt, and baking soda to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer briskly for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse beans in colander. Wipe pot clean.

2. Toast cumin seeds in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in oil, chorizo, and onion and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Let cool for 30 minutes. Stir in chilled water to finish cooling, then stir in drained beans.

TO STORE

3. Leave chili in pot or transfer to storage container. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

4. Transfer chili to Dutch oven, if necessary. Stir in baking soda and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until beans are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and bell pepper and cook, uncovered, until beans are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges.