By Pierre Franey

I wanted to publish my meat chili recipe, but this appeared in the NYT, and its so close to mine, that I will give you the alternate ingredients. You can also turn this into a chicken chili recipe if you use white and dark meat ground chicken and canned while beans. Recipe adjustments will follow.

INGREDIENTS

Yield:About 6 servings

  • 1 -2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey, white and dark meat combined (or 1/2 pound 80% ground beef; 1/2 pound ground pork). If you are making turkey chili, I suggest using only one pound of mixed ground turkey and one cup of broth.
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped onions (or 1 whole chopped onion, 1 bunch scallions, chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 large sweet red pepper, cored, deveined and coarsely chopped (green for meat chili)
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 jalapeño, cored, deveined and finely chopped ( can use 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger instead)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder (not necessary for meat chili)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin (to taste; may need more)
  • **3 cups canned diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 packages Trader Joe’s fresh San Marzano tomatoes)** Three cups of caned diced tomatoes will be too much for 1 pound of beef or turkey. Start with 1 1/2 cups, simmer, and then taste. You can always add more.
  • 2 cups chicken broth, fresh or canned (not necessary for meat chili)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2(15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar
  • 1 cup sour cream (optional)
  • Sliced lime, for garnish
  • PREPARATION
  • Heat the oil over high in a large heavy pot and add the turkey meat. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, chopping down and stirring with the side of a heavy kitchen spoon to break up any lumps.
  • Add the onions, garlic, sweet pepper, celery, jalapeño, oregano, bay leaves, chili powder and cumin. Stir to blend well. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Give this about 30 minutes for meat chili.)
  • Add the drained beans and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes longer. Serve in bowls with Cheddar, and sour cream and lime wedges, if desired

Definitely add the squeeze of lime juice. Delicious!

Note: In the beginning, I usually add the vegetables in a certain order. First I saute the garlic and ginger for a minute or two being careful not to burn them. Then the chopped onion to soften. Next the celery and peppers, after which I add the ground beef, break up the chunks and cook until no longer pink. Sprinkle in oregano, and add the fresh tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, then add the beans and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper. (If necessary, cook a little longer). Add the cumin to taste at the end. Check for salt and pepper.

For chicken chili, I suggest using one pound of ground chicken and one cup of broth.