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Coach JP's Famous Chili

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Coach JP’s Famous Chili - Updated 2023.07.20

Originally published in 2013 (the first recipe I published!) and last updated in September 2021, this recipe was overdue for another update based on some more recent tweaks.

I use a slightly unusual combination of spices and herbs in my recipe that gives the chili a real depth and complexity of flavour that takes it beyond any store bought chili I've ever had.  Chili purists will balk at the inclusion of beans, and while this recipe *could* be made bean-free, it is intended to be a complete meal in a bowl, so a starchy carb element is a key component.

This is real, whole food with lots of protein, veggies and high-fibre starchy carbs, so it doesn’t really need any “pseudo-healthy” window dressing!

With the relatively high proportion of starchy carbs, this is best used as a post-workout meal, but if your carb intake is reasonable otherwise, go ahead and have this whenever.  It can also be made ahead and the excess portions frozen for later use with good results.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg / 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

  • 2 tsp sea salt, pepper to taste

  • 1 TBSP vegetable oil

  • 1 whole medium yellow onion (diced)

  • 2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (seeds removed, diced)

  • 2 poblano pepper (seeds removed, diced)

  • 6 cloves of garlic (minced)

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP ground cumin

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP chili powder

  • 1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 to 1 tsp cocoa powder

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP dried oregano

  • 1 can tomato paste

  • 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes

  • 1 can or bottle of beer (or equivalent amount of water - around 355 ml / 1-1/2 cups)

  • 2 cans (2x 398 ml) organic beans (rinsed)

  • OPTIONAL: 4 cups baby spinach or power greens mix (finely chopped)

  • OPTIONAL:  2 TBSP cornmeal or quinoa (finely ground)

  • OPTIONAL: 1 or 2 canned chipotle chili peppers (finely chopped)

  • Juice of 1 whole lime

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Season ground beef with sea salt and pepper, mixing well by hand. Set aside while prepping veg.

  3. Dice onion and cook over medium heat with 1 TBPS vegetable oil until it starts to caramelize a bit - about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove and pot. ;)

  4. While the onion is cooking, dice poblano and bell peppers, then add them to the pot as they are diced.

  5. Turn heat up to medium-high, add a little more oil if needed and add the ground beef, mixing until evenly combined with the veg. Cook for about another 5 minutes, mixing frequently.

  6. Add minced garlic, tomato paste and all spices and herbs (and OPTIONAL chipotle chili peppers and / or chopped greens if you are using them) and mix well.

  7. Add the diced tomatoes and beer / water and mix thoroughly.

  8. Add beans and mix in gently so as not to crush the beans. ;)

  9. Increase heat to high and cook until it starts bubbling, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t stick on the bottom.

  10. Remove from heat. If you like your chili really thick, add the cornmeal or quinoa and stir in well. Cover, and place in the oven to cook for 60-90 minutes.

  11. Remove from oven, add the juice of 1 whole lime and mix well.

  12. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve!

Notes:

  • For beans, I prefer pintos for their creamier texture, but you can use any combination of pintos, black beans or red kidney beans.

  • If using ground quinoa, I usually grind the quinoa myself, either with a mortar and pestle or in a mini-food processor. Quinoa flour often has other stuff mixed in, so I avoid that.  Cornmeal is a better option, flavour-wise, and both are gluten-free, so up to you.  Neither is really necessary unless you like a very thick chili.

  • To save time and effort, I often chop the greens and garlic together in the food processor.

  • Play around with the amount of the dry spices - I like mine with more spices, but if you're not used to it, start with less. E.G. I’ve gone as high as 3 TBSP on the cumin and the chili powder has varied from 1/2 tsp to 1 TBSP depending on how spicy I want to make it.

  • Feel free to add some of your favourite hot sauce, or the optional chipotle chili peppers - this recipe is fairly mild.

  • Sometimes the canned tomatoes can be a bit too acidic, making the chili have a slightly unpleasant bite / tang after simmering. This can be remedied by stirring in 1/2 to 1 tsp of baking soda, which neutralizes the acid without affecting the flavour. Stir it in thoroughly, and give it at least 5 minutes to do its work.

Total Time: 90 minutes+ depending on simmer time

In palm portions, this recipe totals about 8 palms of protein, 8 fists of veggies, 4 cupped palms of starchy carbs and 2-3 thumbs of fats.