Chilli con carne is a huge family favourite of ours and although this is really more of a Tex-Mex dish, the array of Mexican ingredients that we have will transform your everyday chilli into the most delicious meal. When I’m missioning around doing DIY or being dad taxi on a Saturday I get a kick out of knowing that there’s a beef chilli ready to go on the Rayburn and we can light the fire and grab a TV supper together when the day is done.

The secret to a good chilli con carne is layering up the different chillies, in this entire dish we are featuring 5 different chillies. For the Chilli con Carne we have a smoky one, a dried one and a fresh one – Chipotle in Adobo, Dried Ancho Chillies and a fresh Serrano Chilli. We also have Poblano chillies going in the green rice and Habanero Chilli in the salsa. Come on, this is going to be amazing.

To recreate this you will need to order from Somerset Foodie:

1 x Pack of Dried Ancho Chillies
1 x Jar of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
1 x Can of Poblano Chilli Peppers
1 x Bottle of El Yucteco Habanero Red Chilli Sauce
1 x Tin Las Hermanas Hot Smoked Paprika
1 x Can Black Beans
1 x Can Borlotti Beans
2 x Tins Mutti Chopped Tomatoes (Polpa)

You will also need:

Basmati Rice, Minced Beef,  Rapeseed Oil, Fresh Green Chilli, Onions, Celery, Garlic, Cinnamon Sticks, Cumin Seeds, Ground Allspice, Dried Oregano, Beef Stock, Fresh Coriander, Chicken Stock, Fresh Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Limes and Salt.

Recipe for Ben’s Chilli Con Carne

Serves 8

This is ideal for batch cooking, so the Chilli con Carne Recipe serves 8, the other two recipes serve 4.

2tbsp Rapeseed Oil
900g Minced Beef
1 x can Black beans
1 x can Borlotti beans
3 x Whole Dried Ancho Chillies
2tbsps Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, chopped up finely
1 x Fresh Green Chilli
3 Medium Onions, peeled and finely diced
3 x Sticks of Celery, finely chopped
6 x Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
2 x Sticks of Cinnamon
2tsp Cumin Seeds
2tsp Ground Allspice
2tsp Dried Oregano
2tsp Hot Smoked Paprika
2 x 400g Cans Mutti Chopped Tomatoes
500ml Beef Stock
Salt

Ingredients for Ben’s Mexican Green Rice
Serves 4

1 x Can Sliced Poblano Peppers
200g x Dr Nature Basmati Rice
½ Medium Onion, peeled and chopped
1 x Clove Garlic, peeled and chopped
450ml Chicken Stock
4tbsps Chopped Fresh Coriander
2tbsps Rapeseed Oil

Ingredients for Salsa Habanero
Serves 4

6 x Fresh Tomatoes
1 x Small Red Onion
1tbsp El Yucateco Habanero Salsa Red
1tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped

To Garnish
Sour Cream (Omit for a Dairy-free version of this recipe)
Fresh Coriander
Lime Wedges

The only allergens in this recipe is the Lactose contained within the Sour Cream and the celery in the chilli con carne.

1. Start by getting the chilli con carne on the go first. Rip up the Ancho chillies, discarding the seeds and pour over enough hot water to cover them. Let them soak for about 20 minutes.

2. Now boil a kettle and make up 500ml of beef stock (no problem to use some bouillon or a cube). Whilst the Ancho’s are soaking, peel and chop up your onions and celery and get your other ingredients prepped up.

3. Once the Ancho Chillies have soaked, transfer them in a food processor and blitz them up with a little of the soaking water.

4. One of the most important parts to a good chilli is to brown the mince off really well. Get your pan hot, add the oil and bung in your mince. Don’t be tempted to move the meat around much to begin with, just let it brown nicely from below. After a minute or so, turn it over gently – some water will come out, but keep cooking until all the water has evaporated and the meat is browning nicely. Now sprinkle in the dried spices (Cumin, Cinnamon Sticks, Allspice and Smoked Paprika). Then add the onions, celery, garlic and fresh green chilli. Keep cooking for about 5 mins until the onions and sweated down.

5. Now add in the chipotles, the blitzed ancho chillies, the dried oregano, the cans of Mutti Chopped Tomatoes and the beef stock. Stir everything well, stick a lid on the pan and simmer gentle for about 2-3 hours.

6. About half an hour before you come to serve, take the lid off the pan to reduce down some of the cooking liquid so you really intensify those flavours. This is the moment to drain and add the Black Turtle Beans and the Borlotti beans.

7. Now it’s time to start on the rice. Boil the kettle and mix up the chicken or veg stock. Wash the rice thoroughly under running water and leave it to soak for 20 mins. To make the rice green, you need to make the green paste that the rice will cook in. Blitz up half the Poblano Chillies, half an onion, a garlic clove and a big bunch of coriander with a touch of chicken stock. You can mix in the remaining poblano chillies through the cooked rice at the end.

8. Heat up a small pan, add some oil and fry the rice for a minute or so. Now add in your green paste, the rest of the chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bung a lid on and cook gentle for about 10 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed.

9. Just time now to make the salsa. Dice up the tomatoes and onion, mix through some of the Habanero Sauce (it’s hot so go easy!) and some chopped coriander.

Once the rice is ready, that’s it, you’re done. Sprinkle a little extra coriander over the top, serve some sour cream on the side with a wedge or two of lime, oh yeah - happy days.

Enjoy - and don't forget to tag us on social channels if you make this at home foodies!

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