foodwineclick

True Confession
Honesty is the best policy: drink beer with your chili.

When I set out on this Meatless Monday, I knew I wanted to try a chili.  I modified the recipe to use wine for the liquid instead of beer.  I kept the spices on the tame side. I tried a lean red low in tannins (due to the spice factor) and also tried a fabulous white we had leftover from the prior day.  All to no avail;  Fulton Lonely Blonde carried the day.

Meatless Monday Chili with Fulton Blonde – Wow!

Meatless Monday Chili
adapted from a recipe in Herbivoracious Cookbook
Ingredients
14.5 oz. can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
14.5 oz. can of black beans, drained & rinsed
14.5 oz. can of navy beans, drained & rinsed (use kidney beans if you like, I hate kidney beans, don’t know why)
1 Tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 dried pasilla peppers
2 Tsp lemon juice
1 Tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
12 oz. red wine (or beer)
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
Garnishes: fresh cilantro, chopped onion, shredded washed rind (stinky) cheese, whatever you like for chili toppings

Just like every good recipe, you start by browning some onions with garlic.

Every good recipe starts with sautéeing minced onion and garlic.

Then you add the beans to the pot.  Note that I was able to use my dutch oven, always a treat.

I hate kidney beans, don’t know why. I used pinto, black, and navy beans.

Add the spices, the peppers, the liquid, the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer.

Intriguing blend of dried Pasilla, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cocoa & salt

Before serving, carefully remove the pasilla peppers from the chili.  Then, make some corn bread according to your favorite mix or recipe.  I grew up on Jiffy cornbread and have never found a reason to change.

Jiffy corn muffin mix is all I need for perfect cornbread.

If you like a bit of shredded cheese on your chili, I would suggest you try shredding a bit of a nice stinky washed rind cheese.  We used Saxon Homestead Creamery Greenfields washed rind cheese.  Wow, it added a wonderful rich, ripe flavor to the chili.

Top the chili with onions, shredded cheese, and a mix of cilantro and micro-greens

The wines that we tried were very nice, but they just weren’t as good a match as beer to the chili.

Fall Line Winery Red Willow Blend 2008 ($25)
A very nice, restrained, Merlot dominant Bordeaux blend.

Fall Line Red Blend – Merlot is the #1 contributor

Two Shepherds Viognier 2011 ($24)
A very nice rich white that isn’t a bit oaky.

Rich but not oaky, a nice choice for strongly flavored dishes.

What do you think?  Have you found a wine that really works with chili?  Better than beer?