Ed's Cocoa Chili
Why I Love This Recipe
Unbelievable misture of flavors!
Ingredients You'll Need
2 lbs ground meat (I use 1 lb turkey and 1 lb turkey sausage)
1 medium yellow sweet onion, chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped or diced (any color)
2 stalks celery, chopped or diced
1 carrot, chopped or diced
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced or chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
4-8 garlic cloves, smashed silly
salt and pepper, a few shakes here and there can't hurt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1-2 ounce dark chocolate (70% dark preferred)
(Spice Mix)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons Mexican chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Directions
Assemble the spice mix into an airtight container ahead of time. Most of these ingredients are approximate. Seasonings must be to taste; you're shooting for the perfect SWEET,SALTY,SPICY combo.
CHOP ALL THE VEGGIES UP BEFORE YOU START ANYTHING ELSE.
In a large frying pan on HIGH HEAT, BROWN THE GROUND MEAT to about medium rare. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Drain off or use the ladle to take out the excess fat, but leave some of it in the pan to fry the vegetables.
Remove the meat and place to the side.
Reduce the heat to MEDIUM/HIGH. Add the onions and the jalapenos, then add all the rest of the vegetables. SAUTEE/FRY the veggies for a few minutes. Season the veggies lightly with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Cook the for a minute.
Season the tomatoes with a little salt.
Stir in the KILLER COCOA CHILI SPICE MIX and add the meat back.
Keep stirring, keep a very slow boil or a simmer.
Add Lemon juice, Lime juice, and Orange juice. Also add the dark chocolate pieces. Let the heat from the chili melt the chocolate and then mix everything together.
STIR STIR STIR.
Set the heat to LOW.
Partially cover and cook for about 1/2 and hour to 1 hour.
