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| Courtesy of The New York Times |
Chili has its roots in Mexico, yet it is
inextricably tied to the southwestern states of the U.S., Texas in particular.
The term itself stems from a native Mexican word that directly refers to the
pepper. Early Mexican recipes used the peppers with meat and tomatoes to make a
paste and dry it into a brick that traveled easily. The earliest mentions of it
in the U.S. date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Small,
family-owned “chili parlors” were scattered all over the West in the early 20th
century. Texas-born President Lyndon B. Johnson was a huge chili lover. There
are chili cook-offs in just about every state. There’s even a National Chili
Day (February 22).
While a stew of meat, vegetables, and legumes is not unique,
the thick concoction with an added kick of peppery heat is. There are a
gazillion recipes for chili—beef, turkey, vegetarian, even some made with a
base of pureed pumpkin. Depending on the ingredients, some are very light
colored, almost white, to a deep, dark red. Some add brown sugar or molasses
while others add cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. What’s fun about any stew or
soup is that it’s versatile, a blank canvas to work with. You can throw just
about anything into a pot and boil it down so the flavors marry.
For this one, I chose ground turkey. The meat is leaner than
beef, so it makes it a little healthier. The downside is the leaner meat means
less flavor. You need to be pretty liberal with your seasonings otherwise
turkey chili can be relatively bland. If you’ve been a little heavy-handed with
your spices, just add more water to dilute the heat.
Here’s the recipe:
3 lbs. ground turkey
16 oz. red kidney beans
16 oz. black beans
2 c. corn kernels
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 med. Jalapenos, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large white onion, minced
28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes
4 c. cold water
1 TB olive oil
1 TB cumin
1 TB dried oregano
2 tsp. sambal oelek, Sriracha, or Tabasco
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TB kosher salt
1 TB ground black pepper
In a skillet, fully cook the ground turkey and set aside to
cool. In a stock pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions to sweat and then the garlic.
When fragrant, add the peppers and cook until slightly tender. Add the spices,
oregano, and salt and pepper. In the meantime, coarsely blend the peeled
tomatoes in a food processor. You want the mixture chunky. Add this with the
water and the corn to the stockpot. Rinse and drain your canned beans. Add them
to the mix and replace the cooked turkey. Softly boil this down until the chili
is thickened. Serve with shredded cheese, crème fraiche, or chopped scallions.
