This recipe is simply the best chilli recipe you will find! This great chilli recipe has to be one of the best dishes to serve to your friends as every one like’s chilli, even your little one will enjoy tucking into a bow full of our chilli. You can add more chilli powder if you like it hot or less if you are not so keen on the heat! Either way this will be a recipe that you will want to make time and time again.



Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g lean minced beef
• 1 beef stock cube
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 410g can red kidney beans
• plain boiled long grain rice, to serve
• soured cream, to serve 

How to make Small Steps Chilli con carne

1. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square, neat dice. 
2. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop.
3. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves
4. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat.
5. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot 
6. Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent.
7. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, and then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the 500g lean minced beef, turn the heat up a bit, and break it up with your spoon or spatula. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.

Making the sauce.

1. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. 
2. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. 
3. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well.
4. Add ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using (see tip at the bottom), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. 
5. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir well.
6. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan.
7. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes.
8. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. 
9. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
10. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. 
11. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. 
12. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. 
13. Replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat.
14. Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002