Fusion Chili

A true fusion of 'Tex' and 'Mex' style chili. I've made this recipe dozens of times, and it is great. Each bite slowly delivers a sweet flavor followed by dry heat afterwards. It takes a while to prepare, but well worth it. You can use any type of beans you like, and try different dried chile varieties.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 4 hr
• Calories: 978 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 red onion, diced
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup hot pepper sauce
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 10 dried ancho chiles - chopped, stemmed and seeded
• 3 pounds hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 10 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Soak chiles in water and vinegar in a small bowl for 30 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth, about 5 minutes; set aside.

Step 2

Place sausage and ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove meat from pan and set aside.

Step 3

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat drippings in a large pot over medium heat. Saute white onion, red onion, sweet onion, celery, carrots and garlic until onions are soft and translucent. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in tomato paste, and allow to caramelize. Pour in wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.

Step 4

Stir in cooked meat, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Season with chili powder, cumin and parsley. Bring to a boil, then stir in blended chile mixture and honey. Carefully mix in kidney beans and pinto beans without breaking them. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. Stir and scrape the bottom every hour or so.