CHILLI MEAT RECIPES

1. Ask your butcher to trim and slice your brisket for you. If you’re doing it yourself, carefully trim the meat by discarding any fat or silver skin. Cut the meat against, rather than with, the grain into 2.5cm thick pieces.
2. Make the coffee and, while it’s hot, soak the dried chillies in it for a few minutes to let them rehydrate.
3. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onions and peel and finely slice the garlic.
4. Heat a few lugs of oil in your largest casserole pan on a low heat, add the cumin, paprika, oregano, bay and onions. Fry for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened.
5. Deseed and chop half the fresh chillies. Slice up the rehydrated chillies and add them to the onion mixture along with the chopped fresh chilli, the cinnamon sticks, sliced garlic, a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper and a splash of the chilli-infused coffee.
6. Stir, then add the rest of the coffee, the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon, and the molasses or sugar. Add the pieces of brisket and another good pinch of salt and pepper, cover with a lid and simmer for around 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
7. After a few hours use 2 forks or a potato masher to break the meat up and pull it apart.
8. Once you’ve done this, deseed, slice and add the peppers, then drain and add the beans. Leave to simmer with the lid off for 30 minutes, or until the meat is completely falling apart and delicious, stirring occasionally.
9. Have a taste and season well – if you require a bit more heat (like I would), this is the time to deseed and chop the rest of the fresh chilli and stir it in.
10. Dollop a big spoonful of soured cream over the chilli (if using), and serve straight from the pan, with fluffy rice, flatbreads or potatoes and a really nice fresh lemony green salad. Don’t forget multiple cold beers! Enjoy.

Mist a large pan with spray oil and brown the meat all over (you may need to do this in two batches). Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker, then add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until browned and softened. Add the garlic with the chilli flakes, cumin and paprika and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add this to the slow cooker with the chopped tomatoes, ale, beef stock, kidney beans, peppers, dried mixed herbs, bay leaf and tomato puree. Put the slow cooker on a low setting for 7-8 hours covered with the lid until the beef is completely tender. 

Towards the end of cooking, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Cut the tortillas in half then cut each of these halves into 8 triangles. Spread these over a large baking sheet and sprinkle over smoked paprika. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp, then leave to cool.

Once the beef has finished cooking, place a colander over a wide saucepan and transfer the chilli to this, allowing all the liquid to fall in to the saucepan. Place the meat and vegetables in the colander over a bowl to catch any further liquid. 

Place the saucepan with the liquid over a high heat and reduce for 10 minutes so that it goes down by roughly half. Add the meat back into the pan and warm through, then divide between 4 bowls. Divide the tortillas and add the sliced jalapeños, chopped coriander and soured cream to serve.

In a large pan (or casserole) gently cook the onion and garlic in the oil over a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the onion has softened. Scoop on to a plate and turn up the heat.

Brown the meat in 2 or 3 batches, then return it all to the pan with the onions and garlic, the spices and the tomato purée. Stir together.

Next add the chillies, tomatoes, red peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and add that, too.

Bring the chilli to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and leave it to simmer, covered, for an hour. Give it a stir every now and then.

Stir in the beans, bring the chilli back to the boil and simmer again, this time uncovered, for 30 minutes. Check the seasoning. Stir in the chocolate and, once melted, stir in the coriander leaves. Serve in bowls with rice or jacket potatoes, with soured cream, extra chilli and lime wedges to squeeze over.