About the author :
David Lebovitz — a self-professed fan of Raymond Loewy — began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen , before ending up at Chez Panisse in Berkeley , California . He spent nearly 13 years in the kitchens at Chez Panisse before leaving in 1999 .
Having been a professional cook and baker most of his life , he launched his website in 1999 to coincide with the release of his first book , Room for Dessert . The site was intended as a place to share recipes and stories and in 2004 , to coincide with his move to Paris .
Lebovitz was named one of the Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle and was featured in Bon Appétit , Chocolatier , Cooking Light , Food + Wine , Cook ’ s Illustrated , The Los Angeles Times , Newsweek , Travel and Leisure , The New York Times , People , Saveur , Sunset , and USA Today .
He left the restaurant business in 1999 to pursue writing books and now lives in Paris full time . You can read more about David and find more recipes and books at his blog : www . davidlebovitz . com .
Chocolate Bean Chili
Serves about 8
There ’ s lots of ways to soak and cook dried beans . Some use a pressure cooker and others use the soak and simmer method , as I do . If you wish to use canned beans , use 8 cups ( 1kg ) red or pinto beans with their liquid in place of the cooked dried beans . I start my chili the day before by salting the meat and soaking the beans , although you can omit the first two steps and just go right in to the recipe .
In France , butcher shops sell beef especially for
1 pound ( 450g ) dried red or variegated heirloom beans
1 bay leaf
2 pounds ( 1kg ) beef stewing meat , such as boneless short ribs or chuck roast , cut into 1-inch ( 3 cm ) cubes
3 teaspoons salt ( total ), smoked if available 2 to 4 dried chiles , or one fresh chile , minced About 2 tablespoons cooking oil 2 medium onions , peeled and diced 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced 2-3 teaspoons red chile powder
1 . Rinse the beans and sort them to remove any debris . Put in a bowl and cover with cold water and let soak overnight .
2 . Put the cubes of beef in a freezer bag with 1 1 / 2 teaspoon of salt , massage gently , and refrigerate overnight .
3 . The next day drain the beans , cover with several inches ( centimeters ) of water . Add the bay leaf and bring to a full boil for ten minutes . Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until tender , one to three hours , adding more water if the water boils away . Once done , remove the bay leaf .
4 . In a large casserole or Dutch oven ( at least 6 quarts , 6l ), heat the oil . Working in batches so you don ’ t crowd the pan , brown the pieces of beef , resisting the urge to turn them until they are truly dark on each side . The browning adds a great deal of flavor .
As the meat pieces brown , remove the pieces to a separate plate and brown the remaining pieces . If necessary , add a bit more oil to the pan as you go .
5 . If using dried chiles , snip them into a small bowl in very tiny pieces with scissors and pour just enough boiling water over them to cover . If using fresh chiles , remove the stem and chop them finely . ( You can either discard the seeds , which are hot , or use them .) long stewing , called Morceaux de bourguignon . ( Or paleron or gîte .) For those who can ’ t get unsweetened chocolate , use an extra ounce ( 30g ) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and skip the brown sugar .
As mentioned , use whatever chiles ( fresh or dried ) are available to use . And feel free to dial up the spices , if you ’ d like . I kept it more moderate , since I like the flavor of the beans to shine through . But you can certainly season to taste .
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder ( if available , otherwise use an additional teaspoon red chile powder )
2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 2 cups ( 50cl ) beer
2 cans ( 15oz , 200g each ) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 ounces ( 55g ) unsweetened chocolate 3 tablespoons cider vinegar or lime juice
6 . Once all the meat is browned , fry the onions in the pot until they are wilted , about 5 minutes . Add the garlic , as well as the remaining 1 1 / 2 teaspoon salt , chile powders , oregano , cumin , and paprika , and cook for another minute , stirring constantly to release the flavors of the spices .
7 . Add the beans to the pot along with their liquid , as well as the chiles , beer , tomatoes ( and their juices ), brown sugar , and chocolate .
8 . Simmer the chili at the absolute lowest temperature possible ( I use a flame-tamer ) for at least 1 hour , or until the meat is tender . If necessary to cook much longer , you may need to add additional water if the chile becomes too thick . When done , stir in the vinegar or lime juice . Taste , and adjust any seasonings , such as the chile powder and the salt .
Serving : There ’ s plenty of ways to serve chile . Some like it over rice , others prefer it plain . Be sure to offer bowls of sour cream , slice green onions , grated cheese , and chopped cilantro so guests can customize their bowls . Cornbread is a great accompaniment , too .
Storage : Chili can be refrigerated for up to three days , or frozen for at least two months . It will thicken considerably subsequent days so you may wish to thin it with water or beer when reheating it .
COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
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