Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb cubed sirloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
7 oz chipotles in adobe, minced (with sauce)
30 oz fire roasted (canned) tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon canela
1 teaspoon cocoa
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Quickly saute the meat and vegetables until the meat is just barely cooked on all sides. Add to a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. In a small bowl, stir together the chipotles in adobe, tomatoes and spices. Pour over the meat mixture. Stir to evenly combine. Cook on low 7-8 hrs and then high until ready to serve (up to 2 hours). Stir prior to serving.

My thoughts:

For some reason, I’ve been in a chili mood lately. It isn’t something I eat or want to eat all the time but then I do want to, I want it now! When I saw a good deal on beef at the store I figured it was a sign. I brought it home and prepped the veggies so I could just pop in a a pan and then the slow cooker the next day. I can make chili on the stovetop but between working on a new big (top secret!) project and my husband taking up kung fu, I’ve been using the slow cooker more and more lately so I don’t have to start cooking (often, again) so late in the day. Luckily, since writing 300 slow cooker recipes for my first book, I think I could make something for the slow cooker in my sleep. Or possibly as a zombie. I do think the slow cooker makes good chili. Cooking large chunks of beef takes forever on the stovetop and honestly, I think I get better results in the slow cooker. The meat always ends up falling apart tender and I don’t have to keep stirring to keep it from burning.

For this chili I used up some chiles I had on hand and a can of chipotles in adobe. I was going to put beans in it but I realize we did not have any beans in the house besides chickpeas (and we had a million of those. No clue why. We never eat them) and I thought that would be weird. I don’t think I’ve ever been without beans before. Normally I stockpile them like crazy but I guess I used up my last can without noticing. Despite the crazy amount of chipotle in the chili, it actually isn’t very spicy, just very well and deeply flavored.