Chilli con carne

Feeds at least 4, depending on how hungry they are. Serve with rice, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream and loads of love. And a cold beer.

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
• 1 red pepper, diced about the same size as the onion
• 1 red birdseye chilli, thinly sliced (or a large pinch of chilli flakes)
• 500g minced beef
• 150ml red wine
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Large pinch chipotle chilli flakes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 beef stock cube
• 15g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tin black beans, rinsed and drained (I know kidney beans are more traditional but I really dislike kidney beans!)

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, chilli and red pepper until softened but not coloured
2. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and stirring to break down chunks of meat
3. Add the tomatoe puree and stir in, then pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 mins until almost gone
4. Stir in all the other ingredients except the beans. Add half a tomato tin of water. Season well with salt and pepper
5. Bring to the boil and then turn heat down to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 45 mins, stirring occasionally
6. Then uncover, add the black beans and cook at a simmer for another 15 mins to allow some of the moisture to evaporate until thick and rich. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
7. Check the seasoning and serve

This is the salsa I like to serve alongside:

• 2 large, ripe avocados, roughly diced
• 4 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• A handful of chopped fresh coriander
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped

Put the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and chill until needed.