Saturday Chili

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Fall Saturdays in my house means a few things, among them is the change-over from A/C to heat, breaking out the fall sweatshirts and sweaters, and watching College GameDay on ESPN with my old friends Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. You can always count on at least one Washington State flag flying in the background (Go Cougs!) as they discuss the day's games, and the energy is palpable.  In my estimation, nothing goes better with this cozy day of college football than the aroma of chili simmering in the background, a table covered with veggies, dips, chips, cold beers, and the pleasure of good company.


Today I made chili with a twist, using some unusual ingredients: beer, coffee and wasabi paste. This trinity creates a smoky-sweet combination that lingers on the tongue.  Additionally, this chili is made with ground turkey and vegan sausage because, let's face it, eating and drinking your way through college football season could leave you looking like a linebacker if you're not careful.

This recipe could easily be made 100% vegan. Switch out the meat for a vegan substitute, and substitute vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.  However, my goal with this recipe was to bring out the dark and meaty flavors of the sausage and turkey in tandem with the chili powder, and the rich chocolate flavor of the beer that I used -- Young's Double Chocolate Stout from Wells & Young Brewing Company in the UK.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

1 pound ground turkey

13 oz. vegan sausages (I like Field Roast brand, from Seattle)

1 (14.5 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 cup dark beer, preferably a chocolate stout

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 (12 oz) can tomato paste

1 (14 oz) can beef broth

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon wasabi paste

3 (15 oz) cans kidney beans

2 Anaheim chile peppers

1 serrano pepper

1 habanero pepper

To cook the chili, start by placing 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot and place this over medium-low heat.  Stir in the chopped onions, and sweat until translucent.  Add in the ground turkey and chopped vegan sausages, and mix the ingredients together.

When the ground turkey is cooked, add the diced tomatoes, beer, coffee, tomato paste and broth.  Stir gently.  Mix in the chili powder, cumin, sugar, cayenne, coriander, salt, and wasabi paste.  When thoroughly mixed, stir in one can of beans, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for five minutes.

De-seed and de-flesh the Anaheim, serrano, and habanero peppers, and chop, taking care to avoid getting much on your skin.  Using gloves is also an option.  These peppers are hot!

Lastly, add chopped peppers and remaining two cans of beans.  Stir gently.  Simmer 45 minutes to an hour.

I served mine topped with a small shred of Perrano cheese, though I think this would be equally good with a small dollop of sour cream.  You may also want to keep some tissue handy, because this chili may have an effect on your nasal passages!  It's not overly spicy, but the wasabi and peppers do add a slow-burning heat.

The beer:

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is somewhat underrated, in my opinion.  Many consumers flock to the specialty chocolate stouts from brewers like Brooklyn, Rogue, and Founders, but I think Young's actually leads in this category.  Brewed since 1831 in an independent family brewer, I guess you could say that this is the original craft brew.  This ale is made with chocolate malt and real dark chocolate, and you also smell a hint of tobacco and pepper.  Lest you're scared that drinking a chocolate stout will be too close to grabbing the Hershey's Syrup bottle and chugging away, rest assured that this is a distinctly different taste.  It's not overly sweet, light enough so that you can enjoy a whole glass, and rich enough to stand up to the chili.  In fact, it goes amazingly well with the chili.

And after a bowl and a brew, the best dessert - an indulgent little nap on the couch, with college football on TV in the background.  Enjoy!