Chocolate-Chipotle-Colorado-Style-Chili
Colorado means red in Spanish---refers to the sauce, not the state.
Ing 3 strips applewood smoked bacon, diced 2 cups diced yellow onion 1½ tablespoons garlic, minced 1½ pounds stew meat, cut into approx 1-inch pieces (i.e., Chuck Shoulder, Rump Roast) 2 tbl Mexican oregano 1 tbl ground cumin 1 tsp chili powder ½ tsp ground cloves ½ cup dry red wine, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz 28-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice 1 tbl finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 14-oz can Kidney beans, drained 14-oz can black beans, drained 3 tbl semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or chips s/p optional garnishes: sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, finely chopped red onion, and cilantro leaves or chives
Instructions Add diced bacon to a pot over med heat. Moving it around occasionally, cook the bacon until the pieces are becoming crisp, about 5 min. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook onions soft and beginning to brown, about 10 min. (You shouldn't need to add oil to the pan -- the bacon fat should be sufficient.) Remove the bacon-onion to a bowl. Set aside.
S/p meat, and turn the heat up to high. Add the meat to the pan (if you don't hear the meat sizzle the pan isn't hot enough) ; brown all sides. Return bacon-onion mixture to the pot; add the oregano, cumin, chili powder and cloves -- continue to cook couple of min. Deglaze w/ wine and tomatoes, and wooden spatula bits off bottom of pan.
Stir in the chipotles, turn heat to low, cover/simmer meat super tender -- almost (but not quite), falling apart, 2½-3 hours. Stir from time to time. Mix in beans and chocolate; cook on low for about 10 min. Season w/ salt. Serve with any or all of the garnishes. NOTES