‘Not so Chilli Con Carne’

I only call this my ‘Not so’ Chilli Con Carne as you can make it as spicy or mild as you like - so its super family friendly and versatile to serve up for all members of the family big and small! I like to set aside a batch of the mince before adding the smoky gochujang in for the adults and letting it simmer.

SERVES: 5 with leftovers PREP TIME: 15 MIN TOTAL TIME: 60 MINS

INGREDIENTS

1 kg beef mince – the best you can afford

EVOO

1 red onion, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 celery stick, finely diced

4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 sachet of Mingle Chilli Con Carne spice mix OR

½ tbsp each of smoked paprika, chipotle powder & dried oregano

1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander & ginger

400g tin diced or cherry tomatoes

500ml passata

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp – 1 tbsp Gochujang

½ tbsp raw cacao powder

1 pinch sugar (to taste)

1 tin black beans, rinsed & drained

1 tin red kidney beans or white beans, rinsed & drained

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Roasted red pepper, roughly chopped

METHOD

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat and add the onion, carrot & celery and cook until it’s starting to get some nice colour. Then add garlic and cook until fragrant – keep it moving so it doesn’t burn.

Add the mince and break up with a wooden spoon – you want this to get nice and brown before adding the spices and stirring them in well.

Add the passata, pop a bit of water in the jar and give it a shake – pouring the dregs into the pot as those bits shouldn’t be wasted.

Add the tinned tomato, tomato paste and give it a good stir. Feel free to add a little water if it’s looking a tad dry. Add a pinch of sugar (to taste) and season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat down to low and simmer away for a little bit – maybe 5–10 mins, before adding the gochujang. If you or your kids aren’t into spice, start with a small amount and add to taste depending on your level of tolerance of spice.

Add the beans and roasted red pepper and then cover, simmering on low for as long as you have before serving while prepping the other elements of your meal (like slaw, veggies, tacos, cooked pasta etc). Keep checking on it and giving it a stir to make sure it doesn’t dry out too much.

Just before serving, mix in a dash or two of vinegar for acidity.

Buon appetito 🍋