It’s a chili kind of day….

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.