Chocolate Chili

When the winter storms start to blow in from the Pacific and the darkness of night has descended before 5:00 pm local time, I get the uncontrollable urge to make some chili. Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, I lived in Texas, where making chili is a statewide passion, for almost twenty years. In that twenty years I have participated in chili cook-offs and eaten many bowls of homemade chili, and over the course of those years I developed a recipe for chili with a somewhat unique twist.

In a 5 ½ quart (or larger ) slow cooker add the following:
2 cups dried pinto beans
1 cup dried red beans
1 cup dried black beans
6 cups water
5 beef bullion cubes

Turn on the slow cooker to the high setting and let cook for about 2 hours. Then in a large skillet with about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil, saute:
1 large purple onion, chopped
4 Anaheim chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Cook until the onion starts to become translucent and then add the hot onion-pepper-garlic mixture to the bean mixture in the slow cooker and stir. Using the same skillet add an additional 2 tsp olive oil and over medium heat brown 1 lb ground sirloin and add it to the slow cooker stirring thoroughly. Now add 4 rounded Tbsp of chili powder to the mixture in the slow cooker. Be sure that the chili powder that you use is 100% ground red chili peppers. Some of the commercially available "chili powders" are actually a mixture of ground red chili pepper with an assortment of spices. Next add 1 tsp cumin powder and stir the mixture well. Turn the setting on the slow cooker to the low setting and let it cook for another hour.

After the developing chili has cooked for an hour it is time to add:
1 14.5 oz. Can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 15 oz. Can tomato sauce
¼ Cup cider vinegar

Thoroughly stir the pot to mix the ingredients and then add 2.125 oz (half of a 4.25 oz bar) of your favorite semisweet dark chocolate to the pot. When the chocolate has melted, stir to mix completely and let cook for another 2-3 hours. The chili is done when the beans are just slightly "al dente"; I periodically spoon out a bean and give it a bite test.

Now your chili is ready to eat. It is great when served with homemade cornbread and a robust red wine. Serves eight.