Black Bean Sirloin Chili

Pull out that Dutch oven and get ready to cook. Really ~ make this in a Dutch Oven. If you don't have one, why don't you? Go get one.

I can't let the entire month of January go by without sharing a recipe! I didn't realize that it had been a month since I last posted a recipe so today seems like a good day to remedy that. The wind is howling again and we are going to have to batten down the hatches if it picks up any more. So pull up a chair and join me in the kitchen. I promise I won't make you wash the dishes.

Lots of people turn to soup when the cold chill of January descends upon them. We are no different. Nothing says comfort like a big bowl of hot homemade soup. I make Green Chile Chicken Soup, Taco Soup, a mean Potato Soup, regular Chili, Green Chile Stew, Chicken Noodle Soup, German Hungarian Goulash Soup and this one. I'm sharing this one because it just happens to be what we had for dinner yesterday and I couldn't keep everyone out of the kitchen while I was cooking. The mouth watering aroma brought them from near (the bedrooms) and far (the barn). It's a recipe from a restaurant in Phoenix. No, I've never been to Phoenix, but I found this in a magazine in 1994 and I have made it every year since. This is good stuff folks!

It's not a quick, throw together kind of soup like my Taco Soup, but it is worth the effort. It's great for a simple night at home as well as a wonderful "come on over and have a bowl of soup" kind of meal. Don't be frightened by the lengthy list of ingredients. It's not rocket science and you can do this!

3 Tblsp vegetable oil

2 C chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

2 Tblsp flour

1 Tblsp minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 1/2 C water

1/3 C tomato paste

2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Black-eyed Peas, drained and rinsed

1 can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 lb bonelss sirloin steak, cubed

*Heat 1 Tblsp oil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add the sirloin steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown well. Remove to a bowl.

*Heat 2 Tblsp vegetable oil in same Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 C. chopped onion and the chopped green pepper. Cook, stirring until tender, about 5-10 minutes.

*Stir in 2 Tblsp flour, minced garlic, 1 tsp each salt and paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp each oregano and ground red pepper. Cook, stirring for a minute or two.

*Stir in 2 1/2 C water, 1/3 c tomato paste, the Black Beans, the Great Northern Beans and the Black-eyed Peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

*Stir steak into chili and simmer for about 20 minutes...or all day. Just add more water as needed. Oh, and in a pinch I have also just used stew meat.

See, that's all there is to it!

*Serve with chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, shredded cheeses, sour cream and tortilla chips or cornbread.

~Makes 8 cups

I usually end up adding more water. This probably freezes well, but I wouldn't know ~ there's never any left over to freeze!